The Fiddle And The Drum

by Joni Mitchell

And so once again
My dear Johnny my dear friend
And so once again you are fightin' us all
And when I ask you why
You raise your sticks and cry, and I fall
Oh, my friend
How did you come
To trade the fiddle for the drum

You say I have turned
Like the enemies you've earned
But I can remember
All the good things you are
And so I ask you please
Can I help you find the peace and the star
Oh, my friend
What time is this
To trade the handshake for the fist

And so once again
Oh, America my friend
And so once again
You are fighting us all
And when we ask you why
You raise your sticks and cry and we fall
Oh, my friend
How did you come
To trade the fiddle for the drum

You say we have turned
Like the enemies you've earned
But we can remember
All the good things you are
And so we ask you please
Can we help you find the peace and the star
Oh my friend
We have all come
To fear the beating of your drum

© 1969; Siquomb Publishing Company

Additional information:

The Fiddle And The Drum has been recorded by 19 others

A Perfect Circle (from "eMOTIVe" - 2004)
Balino, Fernando (- 2012)
Bleckmann, Theo (from "I Dwell In Possibility" - 2010)
Casey, Karan (from "Ships In The Forest" - 2008)
Colonna, Wendy (from "unreleased live recording" - )
Hammett-Vaughan, Kate (from "So Lucky To Be Me" - 2007)
LaBarge-Neumann, Sandra (- 2004)
Lahm, David (from "Jazz Takes on Joni Mitchell" - 1999)
LaPorte, Tamara (- )
McGovern, Maureen (from "A Long and Winding Road" - 2008)
Perez, Danílo (from "... Till Then" - 2003)
Robinson, Ellen (from "Mercy! Ellen Robinson Live" - 2006)
Spooky Men's Chorale (from "Stop Scratching It" - 2007)
Tabor, June (from "Abyssinians" - 1991)
Tabor, June (from "The Peel Sessions (Live)" - 1977)
The Jabberwocks (from "A Peace Of Ourselves" - 1969)
The Wind Children (from "The Flower/The Flag" - 1976)
We Folk (from "Get Together" - )
Weiss (- )
» [more information on recordings by other artists]

Comments on The Fiddle And The Drum

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allegrawakest on 2010-Sep-12 at 16:07:30 GMT-5:
This song has haunted me for so many years. I'm finally going to be able to sing it live on 9-27-10 for our new, local independent radio station (WDRT) benefit party here in Viroqua, Wisconsin. This song, recorded in 1969 is just as relevant today as it was then. In a way that's sad, but in any case, it possesses such a stunning, brilliant melody. Even after all these years, by the end I am teary. Thank you, Joni. Thank you for all the catharsis. You are a healer in every sense of the word.

carmelrotem on 2010-May-28 at 07:42:06 GMT-5:
This song always gives me goosebumps.
the lyrics and the perfect acapella singing that emphasize tham ever better, and sends them right to the heart...
I am from Israel, and unfortunatly this song is very relevent to the situation my country is in.
Wish we will all find a way to trade the fist for the hanshake again.

cynthiamcg on 2010-Apr-25 at 11:51:54 GMT-5:
Joni, please don't "get out of the music business"
youre voice and song speak loud for morgellons sufferers. Most of all they comfort us. we would miss listening and anxiously waiting for something new.