Song Lyrics

Here Today and Gone Tomorrow

by Joni Mitchell

Love is not a game with me
Played with inconsistency
Though my love turned out to be
Here today and gone tomorrow

Love is like a candlelight
Sometimes flickering sometimes bright
Sometimes burning up the night
Here today and gone tomorrow

Love is something of a rover
Comes to town and takes a lover
Packs his bag and then it's over
Here today and gone tomorrow

Love's a field of sugar cane
Sunshine smiles and teardrop rain
Feed it till it's cut again
Here today and gone tomorrow

Love's a rainbow in the sky
None can reach it, still they try
Rainbow chasing fool am I
Here today and gone tomorrow

Love must be the birds in spring
Only lovers hear them sing
All too soon they're on the wing
Here today and gone tomorrow

No love is not a game with me
Played with inconsistency
Though my love turned out to be
Here today and gone tomorrow

Footnotes

Joni introduces the song this way at the Wisdom Tooth on November 15, 1966:

"This is one of my early songs. It’s what I call a pre-Mitchell song because it’s kind of a sour grapes love song. Called Here Today and Gone Tomorrow."