"California" Joni Mitchell

"California" is a 1971 pop California song by Grammy-winning Los Angeles singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell.

A single from Mitchell's critically-acclaimed album Blue, "California" portrays the emotional turmoil and longing for home of one who is homesick for California.

Written while the renowned songwriter briefly lived in the UK, "California" was first performed by Joni Mitchell before a LIVE audience in London on BBC Television in 1970 (video below).

Accompanied solely by her Appalachian dulcimer on her lap, Mitchell delivered an honest and vulnerable performance which, still today, moves listeners to tears.

Long considered the theme song for homesick Californians, Mitchell's ode to the Golden State has become one of the most loved California songs in music history.

The clear, strong voice of Joni Mitchell has consistently conveyed complex emotions but, in the song "California", the singer owns the emotional spectrum in her expression of lyrics that penetrate to the core.

A beautiful song in its own right, "California" has been covered by many recording artists.

In Mitchell's classic 1970 LIVE performance, the song's desperate longing rings loudly and clearly, appealing to every heart that yearns for the warmth and freedom of California.

California is a state of mind but, in the artistic expression of such a masterful songwriter as Joni Mitchell, "California" is a state of the soul.

Joni Mitchell | California