888 – Joni Mitchell – Chelsea morning (1969)

Escrita por Joni Mitchell, foi lançada em 1969 no disco Clouds, o segundo LP da cantora e compositora. Já havia sido lançada por Judy Collins em no começo de 1968 e Jennifer Warnes também gravou-a em 1968. Mas cedo ainda foi gravada por Dave Van Ronk em 1967. Mas a versão que escolhemos foi a da própria compositora.

Joni Mitchell morava na vizinhança chamada Chelsea, em NYC, em um quarto alugado. O primeiro verso fala da decoração do apartamento.

Chelsea Clinton, filha de Bill Clinton e Hillary teve seu nome em homenagem à essa canção, que o casal ouvia enquanto estavam em Londres.

Foi regravada também por Sergio Mendes, Neil Diamond, entre outros artistas.

A letra:

Woke up, it was a Chelsea morning, and the first thing that I heard
Was a song outside my window, and the traffic wrote the words
It came a-reeling up like Christmas bells and rapping up like pipes and drums

Oh, won't you stay
We'll put on the day
And we'll wear it 'till the night comes

Woke up, it was a Chelsea morning, and the first thing that I saw
Was the sun through yellow curtains, and a rainbow on the wall
Blue, red, green and gold to welcome you, crimson crystal beads to beckon

Oh, won't you stay
We'll put on the day
There's a sun show every second

Now the curtain opens on a portrait of today
And the streets are paved with passersby
And pigeons fly
And papers lie
Waiting to blow away

Woke up, it was a Chelsea morning, and the first thing that I knew
There was milk and toast and honey and a bowl of oranges, too
And the sun poured in like butterscotch and stuck to all my senses
Oh, won't you stay
We'll put on the day
And we'll talk in present tenses

When the curtain closes and the rainbow runs away
I will bring you incense owls by night
By candlelight
By jewel-light
If only you will stay
Pretty baby, won't you
Wake up, it's a Chelsea morning

A versão de Joni Mitchell:

A versão de Neil Diamond:

A versão de Sérgio Mendes: