“Clouds. Both Sides Now.”
By Joni Mitchell, 1968.
“Rows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I've looked at clouds that way
But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would've done
But clouds got in my way
I've looked at clouds
from both sides now
From up and down,
and still somehow
It's cloud illusions, I recall
I really don't know clouds at all
The theme song for this service is a beloved song by Canadian Songwriter and singer Joni Mitchell. She is one of the greatest female song writers of the 20th century and has written many very personal songs that truly resonate with us as listeners. Maybe the most famous and know song is “Both Sides now.” A song about clouds, life, and love – from both sides. It was first recorded by Judy Collins in 1968 and the following year Mitchel included it on her album: Clouds.
Mitchell has said that the song was inspired by a passage in a book she was reading while on a plane. While reading about a man on his way to Africa looking down to see the clouds. She put down her book, looked out the window. Ans saw clouds too…. And she immediately started to write the lyrics.
The three verses reflect on looking at clouds, love, and finally life from both sides: “up and down” (clouds), “give and take” (love), and finally “win and lose” (life).
She closes each section by admitting she really doesn’t know clouds, love, or life at all in the chorus.
I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions, I recall
I really don't know life at all
Listen to the song.
Gospel: Matthew 13.24-30
24 He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?” 28 He answered, “An enemy has done this.” The slaves said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” 29 But he replied, “No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
31 He put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’
Sermon:
“On Clouds and Perspectives.”
I think we all know that feeling of sitting on an airplane and looking out and down on the clouds. These fluffy white soft clouds.
I think we all know that feeling of sitting on an airplane and looking out and down on life and love. Being up there gives us perspective and distance to look and maybe look further than when we are under the clouds as they might block our view. Being up above, looking down from a bird’s perspective, we might see patterns, paths, problems, persons and possibilities. We might see everything from both sides: up and down, give and take, lose and win.
Joni Mitchell song is a timeless song about life, love and clouds that still resonate with us.
When “Both sides now.” Was written Joni Mitchel was young and had plenty of time ahead of her to try to understand clous, love and life. She had already dealt with some major life upheavals and challenges at a very young age. As a young single mother, she had to put her child into foster care, then married and quickly divorced. Just in her early 20s, she was from a star, which truly influenced her lyrics. She is on her way. She is trying to make sense of life and love. So, it clearly reflects on her life, her love.
But one of the reasons why I love this song is that it reflects on a young life but also on an older life looking back.
With age it changes how these lyrics echo with us. It becomes less about lessons one will learn in time and more on all the losses and lessons learned in life and with time and how these formative years are sent in the rearview mirror.
I often think about the Danish Philosopher Soren Kierkegaard when listening to this song.
Soren Kierkegaard’s most famous quote is how to live and make sense about life: Life must be lived in forward motion but can only be understood looking back.”
We do need distance and perspective to understand the losses experienced and lessons learned in our lives. We need time to mend wounds, time to give wisdom, time to reconcile life’s ups and downs, and time to look at both sides. Aging changes our perspectives and maybe dissolves the clouds that got in the way of our sight.
Rows and flows of angel hair.
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I've looked at clouds that way.
But now they only block the sun.
They rain and snow on everyone.
So many things I would've done.
But clouds got in my way.
I've looked at clouds.
from both sides now
From up and down,
and still somehow
It's cloud illusions, I recall.
I really don't know clouds at all.
Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing' way you feel.
As every fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way.
But now it's just another show.
You leave 'em laughing' when you go.
And if you care, don't let them know.
Don't give yourself away.
I've looked at love.
from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow.
It's love's illusions, I recall.
I really don't know love at all.
Tears and fears and feeling proud.
To say "I love you" right out loud.
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way.
But now old friends are acting strange.
They shake their heads,
they say I've changed.
Well, something's lost,
but something's gained.
In living every day
I've looked at life from both sides now.
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions, I recall.
I really don't know life at all.
I've looked at life from both sides now.
From up and down, and still somehow
It's life's illusions, I recall.
I really don't know life at all.
It resonates with us, young and old, as it is the perfect portrait of what it means to understand love when you are young and hopeful and naïve, and then again when you are wise and weathered. From both sides.
The song has been used in countless movies and series. One of the most notable inclusions of the song is in the film “Love Actually”. It is a Christmas romantic comedy, and it features an incredible ensemble cast of predominantly British actors. The movie is mostly filmed in London and delves into different aspects of love shown through 10 separate stories involving a variety of individuals, many of whom are interlinked as the movie unfolds. One of the best scenes of that movie is the heart wrenching scene where Emma Thompsons character discovers that her husband is having an affair. If you haven’t seen that movie do – and be moved by Toni Mitchell beautiful song:
I've looked at love.
from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow.
It's love's illusions, I recall.
I really don't know love at all.
Tears and fears and feeling proud.
To say "I love you" right out loud.
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way.
‘Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”
This is how Jesus said in the Parable. That seed and weed will grow side by side. Good and evil will be in our lives.
Ups and downs, Win and lose. Give and take.
Maybe sitting on a plane, high beyond this life and earth, looking at the soft white clouds – does give us perspective. Clouds may get in our way, but clouds also give us rain and shade. Love may hurt, but it also gives us the greatest joy. Life may be disillusioned, but still living is worth every living day.
Well, something's lost,
but something's gained.
In living every day
I've looked at life from both sides now.
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions, I recall.
I really don't know life at all.
In Ecclesiastes it is said that there is a time for everything under heaven… a time to live and die, a time to love and hate…. … and after recounting all life’s opposites and changing circumstances, it says: God has made everything suitable for its time; moreover, he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Great wisdom and comfort are found if we accept that we really don’t know life at all but try to look at it from both sides and trust that God is with us in every turn and twist, challenge and change.
The perspective of looking at both sides, in and out, up and down, win and lose, give and take, - may give us a richer appreciation for life living every day.
Amen.