Song to a Seagull
On her 1968 debut, Joni Mitchell thanks Mr. Kratzman for teaching her to love words in more than just the album dedication; Song to a Seagull's poetic lyricism and ornate vocabulary are its hallmarks. Though the Canadian-born songwriter had been exploring the New York folk scene, this David Crosby-produced album reveals Mitchell's deep love of classical music and eschews the era's folk-rock sound in favor of something more impressionistic and melodically rich. With her soaring vocals and harmonic guitar at the forefront, the mood is wistful and there is a fanciful innocence here that isn't present in Mitchell's later work. Divided into two parts, Song to a Seagull moves from the city to the sea in its tales of failed marriage ("I Had a King"), grumbling taxi drivers ("Nathan La Franeer"), promise-breaking pirates ("The Pirate of Penance"), and, ultimately, the desire for love versus the need for independence ("Cactus Tree").
Song to a Seagull Catalog Number: Reprise RSLP 6293
Song to a Seagull Track Listing:
Part One: "I Came to the City"
1. I Had a King - 3:37
2. Michael from Mountains - 3:41
3. Night in the City - 2:29
4. Marcie - 4:35
5. Nathan La Franeer - 3:20
Part Two: "Out of the City and Down to the Seaside"
1. Sisotowbell Lane - 4:04
2. The Dawntreader - 5:04
3. The Pirate of Penance - 2:44
4. Song to a Seagull - 3:51
5. Cactus Tree - 4:38
Get Song to a Seagull on Vinyl:
![]() |
![]() LP JONI MITCHELL S/T song to a seagull beautiful copy GF Goldmine rated Stills $4.99 Time Remaining: 3d 5h 58m |
![]() 68 JONI MITCHELL "SONGS TO A SEAGULL" 1ST LP W/ GATEFOLD COVER IST ISSUE NEW/MT $14.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 3d 10h 15m |
![]() JONI MITCHELL Song To A Seagull DEBUT LP EX+ $23.86 Time Remaining: 14d 21h 57m Buy It Now for only: $23.86 |
![]() Joni Mitchell Song To A Seagull debut 1968 LP VG-NM gatefold RARE $29.79 Time Remaining: 15d 3h 21m Buy It Now for only: $29.79 |
Related posts:






