"Down to You" is a song written by

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...

that was first released on her 1974 album ''

Court and Spark ''Court and Spark'' is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Released in January 1974, it infuses the folk rock style of her previous albums with jazz elements. It was an immediate commercial and critical success— ...

''. It won the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s).

Lyrics and music

"Down to You" uses a

verse Verse may refer to: Poetry * Verse, an occasional synonym for poetry * Verse, a metrical structure, a stanza * Blank verse, a type of poetry having regular meter but no rhyme * Free verse, a type of poetry written without the use of strict me ...

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

structure. It is in the

keys Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

D major D major (or the key of D) is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor. The D major scale is: : Ch ...

and

E major E major (or the key of E) is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps. Its relative minor is C-sharp minor and its parallel minor is E minor. Its enharmonic equivalent, ...

. It begins with Mitchell playing a solo piano introduction. The theme of the song is the need to either change your life or take responsibility for it, since "it all comes down to you." Music professor Lloyd Whitesell describes it as "a wry meditation on the transience of love and moral certainty." The song takes place in the aftermath of a one-night stand. The verses provide philosophical ruminations about the situation, while the bridge provides more specifics. The opening lines of the first verse, "Everything comes and goes/marked by lovers and styles of clothes," set the tone for the song. Sean Nelson describes the lyrics as being "terse but true, general but suggestive, clever but light, and they

rhyme A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds (usually, the exact same phonemes) in the final stressed syllables and any following syllables of two or more words. Most often, this kind of perfect rhyming is consciously used for a musical or aesthetic ...

," and also claims that with only those two lines Mitchell could have "had a pretty good song on her hands." At the beginning of the song Mitchell seems to be addressing herself, or else a more generalized someone. The bridge begins with the lines: :''You go down to the pick up station'' :''Craving warmth and beauty'' :''You settle for less than fascination'' :''A few drinks later you're not so choosy'' These lines may also be addressed to herself, or may be addressed to the absent lover. The lyrics are ambiguous in this respect, and are also ambiguous as to whether the bridge is addressed to a real or fictional person, and even as to the gender of the person the lyrics are addressed to. By the end of the penultimate verse, a random encounter with a stranger in the light of day leads the singer to realize that "love is gone," and the tryst of the prior night wasn't really love. This realization is underscored by

David Crosby David Van Cortlandt Crosby (born August 14, 1941) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Crosby joined the Byrds in 1964. They got ...

and Susan Webb joining Mitchell to sing the line. This recognition then leads to an extended orchestral interlude. While the orchestral instruments alternately take up the musical theme, Mitchell plays the piano using different types of

chords Chord may refer to: * Chord (music), an aggregate of musical pitches sounded simultaneously ** Guitar chord a chord played on a guitar, which has a particular tuning * Chord (geometry), a line segment joining two points on a curve * Chord (as ...

, including

major key In music theory, the key of a piece is the group of pitches, or scale, that forms the basis of a musical composition in classical, Western art, and Western pop music. The group features a '' tonic note'' and its corresponding ''chords'', al ...

minor key In Western music, the adjectives major and minor may describe a chord, scale, or key. As such, composition, movement, section, or phrase may be referred to by its key, including whether that key is major or minor. Intervals Some intervals may ...

, diminished and augmented chords. Music journalist

Mark Bego Mark Joseph Bego (born 23 September 1952, in Pontiac, Michigan) is an author known for his biographies focusing on the rock & roll and show business genres. Bego has written a total of 59 books, two of which have gone on to become New York Times ...

describes Mitchell's playing as being like a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

solo. According to author Larry David Smith, the final verse ends with "an acceptance of life's uneven qualities, and the resignation of acceptance."

Reception

At the

1975 Grammy Awards The 17th Annual Grammy Awards were presented March 1, 1975, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1974. Award winners *Grammy Award for Record of the Year, Record of the Year ...

, Mitchell and Tom Scott won the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for "Down to You". Music journalist

describes it as a "sheer masterpiece." ''

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...

'' critic Jessica Hopper describes the

arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...

as being "stunning in its complexity."

Personnel

* Joni Mitchell – vocals, acoustic guitar, piano;

clavinet The Clavinet is an electrically amplified clavichord invented by Ernst Zacharias and manufactured by the Hohner company of Trossingen, West Germany, from 1964 to 1982. The instrument produces sounds by a rubber pad striking a point on a tension ...

* Tom Scott –

woodwinds Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and reed ...

, reeds *

Joe Sample Joseph Leslie Sample (February 1, 1939 – September 12, 2014) was an American keyboardist and composer. He was one of the founding members of The Jazz Crusaders in 1960, the band which shortened its name to "The Crusaders" in 1971. He remained ...

–

electric piano An electric piano is a musical instrument which produces sounds when a performer presses the keys of a piano-style musical keyboard. Pressing keys causes mechanical hammers to strike metal strings, metal reeds or wire tines, leading to vibrations ...

Larry Carlton Larry Eugene Carlton (born March 2, 1948) is an American guitarist who built his career as a studio musician in the 1970s and 1980s for acts such as Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell. He has participated in thousands of recording sessions, recorde ...

– electric guitar * Max Bennett – bass guitar *

John Guerin John Payne Guerin (October 31, 1939 – January 5, 2004) was an American percussionist. He was a proponent of the jazz-rock style. Biography Guerin was born in Hawaii and raised in San Diego. As a young drummer he began performing with Buddy De ...

– drums, percussion Additional personnel *

– backing vocals * Susan Webb – backing vocals Technical personnel * Joni Mitchell – record producer *

Henry Lewy Henry Lewy (May 31, 1926 – April 8, 2006),Arizona Obituary Archive: Henry Lewy< ...

and Ellis Sorkin –

engineers Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...

References

{{Authority control Joni Mitchell songs 1974 songs Songs written by Joni Mitchell Song recordings produced by Joni Mitchell Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)