Shadows and Light (Live) [11/20/76 Save the Whales Benefit, Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, CA] Songtext
von Joni Mitchell

Every picture has its shadows
And it has some source of light
Blindness, blindness, and sight
The perils of benefactors
The blessings of parasites
Blindness, blindness, and sight

Threatened by all things
Devil of cruelty
Drawn to all things
Devil of delight
Mythical devil of the ever-present laws
Governing blindness, blindness, and sight

Suntans in reservation dining rooms
Pale miners in their lantern rays
Night, night and day
Hostage smiles on presidents
Freedom scribbled in the subway
It′s like night, night, and day


Threatened by all things
God of cruelty
Drawn to all things (oh-ooh...)
God of delight
Mythical god of the everlasting laws
Governing day, day, and night

Critics of all expression
Judges in black and white
Saying it's wrong, saying it′s right
Compelled by prescribed standards
Or some ideals we fight
For wrong, wrong, and right

Threatened by all things
Man of cruelty, mark of Cain
Drawn to all things
Man of delight born again, born again
Man of the laws, the ever-broken laws
Governing wrong, wrong, and right

Governing wrong, wrong, and right
Wrong and right