Song Lyrics

Talk To Me

by Joni Mitchell

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There was a moon and a street lamp
I didn't know I drank such a lot
Till I pissed a tequila anaconda
The full length of the parking lot!
Oh I talk too loose
Again I talk too open and free
I pay a high price for my open talking
Like you do for your silent mystery

Come and talk to me
Please talk to me
Talk to me talk to me
Mr. Mystery

We could talk about Martha
We could talk about landscapes
I'm not above gossip
But I'll sit on a secret where honor is at stake
Or we could talk about power
About Jesus and Hitler and Howard Hughes
Or Charlie Chaplin's movies
Or Bergman's nordic blues
Please just talk to me
Any old theme you choose
Just come and talk to me
Mr. Mystery talk to me

You could talk like a fool I'd listen
You could talk like a sage
Anyway the best of my mind
All goes down on the strings and the page
That mind picks up all these pictures
It still gets my feet up to dance
Even though it's covered with keloids
From the "slings and arrows of outrageous romance"
I stole that from Willy the Shake
You know - "Neither a borrower nor a lender be"
Romeo Romeo talk to me

Is your silence that golden?
Are you comfortable in it?
Is it the key to your freedom
Or is it the bars on your prison?
Are you gagged by your ribbons?
Are you really exclusive or just miserly?
You spend every sentence as if it was marked currency
Come and spend some on me
Shut me up and talk to me
I'm always talking
Chicken squawking
Please talk to me

© March 19, 1976; Crazy Crow Music

Transcriptions of Talk To Me

Talk To Me has been recorded by 4 other artists

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jaffe on

This song is about Joni's travels with the Rolling Thunder Review, and her frustration that Dylan briefly spoke to her twice. She wanted a real conversation. See Yaffe's Joni biography, p. 202.

NathanLaFraneer on

I love this song! The arrangement is so simple yet effective, and the lyrics are both tongue and cheek hilarious and thought provoking! Joni is great! I still remember shutting myself up in my room when the Court and Spark record came out!