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Raised On Robberyby Joni Mitchell He was sitting in the lounge of the Empire Hotel He was drinking for diversion He was thinking for himself A little money riding on the Maple Leafs * Along comes a lady in lacy sleeves She says let me sit down You know, drinkin' alone's a shame It's a shame it's a crying shame Look at those jokers Glued to that damn hockey game Hey honey-you've got lots of cash Bring us round a bottle And we'll have some laughs Gin's what I'm drinking I was raised on robbery I'm a pretty good cook I'm sitting on my groceries Come up to my kitchen I'll show you my best recipe I try and I try but I can't save a cent I'm up after midnight cooking Trying to make my rent I'm rough but I'm pleasin' I was raised on robbery We had a little money once They were pushing through a four lane highway Government gave us three thousand dollars You should have seen it fly away First he bought a '57 Biscayne * He put it in the ditch He drunk up all the rest That son of a bitch His blood's bad whiskey I was raised on robbery You know you ain't bad looking I like the way you hold your drinks Come home with me honey I ain't asking for no full length mink Hey, where you going Don't go yet Your glass ain't empty and we just met You're mean when you're loaded I was raised on robbery © 1973; Crazy Crow Music |
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Additional information:*Footnotes
Despite the fact that the plural of leaf is leaves, Joni wasn't being illiterate here. The male character in Raised On Robbery is watching a televised hockey game in the bar and has made a friendly wager on a Canadian team called the Toronto Maple Leafs. The proud Leafs name goes back to their formation in 1927 when the team owners chose "a patriotic Maple Leaf as the team namesake and crest." Because of the City of Toronto's important (and, some say, overbearing) role in the economy and culture of Canada, the Maple Leafs have been called both Canada's Team and "those #%&!*?$# Leafs." Incidentally, betting on the Leafs anytime between 1967 (when they won their last Stanley Cup) and about 1999, would probably have been a losing proposition: the only thing proud about the Leafs during that long period was their heritage, not their on-ice performance.
Is Joni using an artistic license here? Chevrolet didn't even debut the Biscayne until 1958 (shown here), probably due to the success of the previous year's overall car sales. With 1,522,536 units sold in 1957, Chevy beat out Ford by 136 cars. Although their eventual popularity was certainly not predicted when they were first introduced, 1957 Chevrolet vehicles have become one of the most sought after model years of all vehicles. » Would you like to help annotate the lyrics to Raised On Robbery? Send us a note with your idea, and thanks!
Guitar Transcriptions of Raised On RobberyRaised On Robbery has been recorded by 18 others
Aces & Eights (from "unreleased live recording" - )
Adams, Bryan & Wynonna Judd (from "An All-Star Tribute to Joni Mitchell (TV Broadcast)" - 2000) Blue Shadows (from "On The Floor Of Heaven" - 2010) Blue Tapestry (from "Blue Tapestry" - 2002) Canadian Suite (from "Coast to Coast" - 2002) Easton, Sheena (from "Live At The Palace, Hollywood (Video)" - 1982) Jim Stringer & The Am Band (from "In My Hand" - 2004) Kai, Carole (from "Let Me Love You" - 1978) Kennedy, Sherry (from "Don't Wait" - 1996) Matthew's Minstrels (from "Traditional Fare" - 1994) Medley, Sue (from "(unreleased live performance)" - 1990) Mesibov, Paul (- ) Miller, Betsy (from "Becology" - 2013) Moxie (from "It Takes Moxie" - 2003) Sally Barker - Joni Mitchell Project (from "Conversation: The Joni Tapes" - 2010) The Bucknell Jazz & Rock Ensemble (from "Warm Winter Winds" - ) The Whims (from "Tuxedo Junction" - 1980) TRAP (from "45 single" - 1976) » [more information on recordings by other artists]
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