1969 Folk Rock Hit, Inspired by a Novel, Ranked Among 'Best Sad Songs' of All Time

Since her debut in the '60s, singer-songwriter Joni Mitchellhas dazzled fans with her sweet voice, her abilities on the mountain dulcimer, and contemplative lyrics.

One of her most beloved songs is her 1969 hit, "Both Sides Now," which was named the number 2 "best sad song ever written" by Time Out magazine.

Far Out magazine reported that Mitchell discussed writing the emotional tune, off her 1969 album, Clouds, in a 1998 interview with the Toronto Globe and Mail. Far Out magazine noted that Mitchell made the choice for her young daughter to be adopted by a different family in 1965. In addition, she and her ex-husband, Chuck Mitchell, who was not the biological father of the child, finalized their divorce in 1967 after only two years of marriage.

While speaking to the Toronto Globe and Mail, Mitchell said she decided to read Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow amid her personal issues. According to Mitchell, the 1959 novel spurred the idea for "Both Sides Now," which she penned in 1966.

"I was reading Saul Bellow's Henderson the Rain King on a plane and early in the book Henderson the Rain King is also up in a plane. He's on his way to Africa and he looks down and sees these clouds. I put down the book, looked out the window and saw clouds too, and I immediately started writing the song. I had no idea that the song would become as popular as it did," said Mitchell in the 1998 interview, per Far Out magazine.

In a 2022 interview for Apple Music, alongside fellow performer Elton John, Mitchell said that she faced mockery after writing the somber, reflective song at such a young age.

"I wrote it when I was in my early 20s. And I took a lot of ridicule for it, you know, 'What do you know about life? You're only 21,'" recalled the "Big Yellow Taxi" singer.

She clarified that she's aware the song isn't meant for a novice.

"I think I finally became an old lady myself and could sing the song right," said Mitchell, now 82, with a laugh.

Far Out magazine reported that Judy Collins was the one to popularize the song with her 1967 version of "Both Sides Now."

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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 4:09 PM.