3 Songs That Graham Nash Wrote About Joni Mitchell

When two songwriters fall in love, it’s both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because of all the new love songs that are written, but a curse because of all the heartbreak ballads that follow. Here are three songs that songwriter Graham Nash wrote about Joni Mitchell, whom he dated from 1968 to 1970.

“Our House” 

This song appears on Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s album, Déjà Vu from 1970. This one was written by Nash on Mitchell’s piano, in the house they lived together in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles. Nash described his time living with Mitchell to David Zimmer as “really interesting.”

“…She was painting and designing her second album cover, doing that self-portrait. And I remember being totally in awe of her. She’d go and make some supper and come down and we’d be eating, then she’d all of a sudden space out, go to the piano…to see her sit down and write ‘Rainy Night House’ and all those other things was just mind-blowing.’” 

“I Used To Be A King”

Released on his first solo record, Songs For Beginners, “I Used To Be A King” is a reflection upon feelings after a relationship has come and gone. As Nash sings, it’s clear his emotions lie somewhere between appreciation for the time he spent in love and bitterness that it’s now over.

But it’s all right, I’m okay, how are you
For what it’s worth, I must say I loved you
And in my bed late at night, I miss you
Someone is going to take my heart
But no one is going to break my heart again.

He told People of the song back in 2018: “That’s a song that I wrote after I broke up with Joan. She affected me deeply. She’s a brilliant woman and a lovely woman and a very talented person. She had a very deep effect on me. Those couple of years I spent living with Joni were some of the best times of my life.”

“Simple Man”

Nash wrote this one after his breakup with Mitchell in 1970. He performed it for the first time the day after the breakup, during a show with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. In it, he sings: 

I am a simple man
And so I sing a simple song
I’ve never been so much in love
And never hurt so bad at the same time.

Photo by WATFORD/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images

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