Chords: The Urge for Going (Joni Mitchell)

Subject: Req: The Urge for Going
From:
Date: 11 Aug 99 - 09:41 PM

Does anyone know the lyrics to the Joni Mitchell song "The Urge for Going"

Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Req: The Urge for Going
From: Susan A-R
Date: 11 Aug 99 - 10:07 PM

From memory,

I woke up this morning, frost perched on the town
It overed in a frozen sky and gobbled summer down
When the sun turns traitor gold and all the trees stand shiverin' in a naked row
I get the urge for goin' but I never seem to go
I get the urge for goin' when the meadow grass is a turnin' brown
Summer's empire's a fallin' down
Winter's closin' in.

I had a man in summer time with summer colored skin
And not a girl in all that town, my darlin's heart could win.
But autumn leaves came tumblin' down
And bully winds rubbed their faces in the snow
He got the urge for goin' and I had to let him go.

The warriors of winter give a cold triumphant shout
And all that stays is dyin' all that lives is gettin' out
The wild geese in chevron flight, go racin' and a flappin' on before the snow
They get the urge for goin' and they have the wings to go.

I ply the fire with kindling, pull the covers to my chin
I bolt the vagrant winter out and bar my wanderin' in
I wish that summer'd come again, if only just to stay another month or so
But she gets the urge for going and I have to let her go.


Brrr, the trees are already beginning to change here a bit (probably because it has been so dry) and we've had those first crisp nights of August. This song almost feels as if it is speeding it along.

Susan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Req: The Urge for Going
From: WyoWoman
Date: 11 Aug 99 - 10:44 PM

By Dave van Ronk, I b'leeve. Very cosmic. I was just telling a friend about this gorgeous song last night and I log on now and see a thread.

WW

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Req: The Urge for Going
From: Susan A-R
Date: 11 Aug 99 - 10:59 PM

Oh My, I've heard Joni Mitchell, Tom Rush, and now Dave Van Ronk?? anyone got a recording of this so we can confirm who wrote it? I'd really like to know, since I sing it rather a lot.

Susan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Req: The Urge for Going
From: John Hindsill
Date: 11 Aug 99 - 11:12 PM

Joni Mitchell it is--I've got recordings by both Tom Rush & Theo Bikel. If Dave von Ronk has recorded it, I''ll bet it's bitchin'.

John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Req: The Urge for Going
From: WyoWoman
Date: 12 Aug 99 - 12:55 AM

Hmmm. I had always thought Dave van Ronk wrote it, but maybe Joni Mitchell WAS the one. D.v. R. recorded it on the album titled plainly, "Dave Van Ronk." I no longer have this, unfortunately. But it was awesome -- in that honey-over-gravel voice of his. Ymm. Some songs (and singers) make it a pleasure to feel melancholy.

WW

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Req: The Urge for Going
From: ddw in windsor
Date: 12 Aug 99 - 12:57 AM

John's right -- Joni wrote it. The version I have is by Tom Rush on his Circle Game album. Bruce Langhorn plays fantastic lead guitar on it.

The lyrics posted above are pretty much the same as I remember it, except for a few changes in the first verse. TR's version starts:
I woke up today and found
Frost perched on the town
It hovered in a frozen sky
And gobbled summer down
When the sun turns traitor cold
And shivering trees are standing in a naked row
I get the urge for goin',
But I never seem to go.

There are a few other differences, but some are the male/female shift of the singers.

Oh, and the bridge lines are repeated at the end of each verse, with minor variations each time. The earlier post only had them at the end of the first verse....

Happy singing....

ddw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Req: The Urge for Going
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 12 Aug 99 - 01:22 AM

Indeed it's one of Joanie's early songs. Got a chance to back her up on it a couple of times.

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: URGE FOR GOING (Joni Mitchell)
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 12 Aug 99 - 02:01 AM

Absolutely a Joni song. Another of hers that Dave Van Ronk recorded was "Clouds" (a.k.a. "Both Sides Now" and "Page 39" - the original title)

Lessee if it translates from my song file...

URGE FOR GOING- Joni Mitchell

capo 3rd fret

  A(2)     G6+9                                     A(2)
  I awoke today and found the frost perched on the town.
  A(2)              A        G6+9                   A(2)
  It hovered in a frozen sky and it gobbled summer down.
   D                   C
  When the sun turns traitor-cold,
       D                   C             E     E5addD/B
  And all the trees are shivering in a naked row,
     A                 G                       A(2)
  I get the urge for going but I never seem to go.    

CHORUS #1:
     G       D         A              G       D        A
  I get the urge for going when the meadow grass is turning brown,
       G     D        A                 A        G     A
  And summertime is falling down, and winter's closing in.

2. I had me a man in summertime; he had summer-colored skin,
And not another girl in town that darling's heart could win,
But when the leaves fell on the ground,
And bully winds came around and pushed them face-down in the snow,
He got the urge for goin', and I had to let him go.

CHORUS #2: He got the urge for going when the meadow grass was turning brown
And summertime was falling down and winter was closing in.

3. Now the warriors of winter they give a cold triumphant shout.
All that stays is dying; all that lives is getting out.
See the geese in chevron flight
Flapping and a-racin' on before the snow.
They got the urge for going and they've got the wings so they can go.

CHORUS #3: They get the urge for going when the meadow grass is turning brown,
Summertime is falling down, and winter's closing in. REPEAT INTRO

4. I'll ply the fire with kindling now; I'll pull the blankets up to my chin.
I'll lock the vagrant winter out and I'll bolt my wandering in.
I'd like to call back summertime
And have her stay for just another month or so,
But she's got the urge for going so I guess she'll have to go.

CHORUS #4: She gets the urge for going when the meadow grass is turning brown,
And all her empire's falling down, and winter's closing in;
And I get the urge for going when the meadow grass is turning brown,
And summertime is falling down. REPEAT INTRO

CHORDS:
A(2): x 0 7 6 5 0 G6+9: x 0 5 4 3 0 E5addD/B: 0 2 2 4 3 0

HTML line breaks and preformat commands added. --JoeClone, 3-Mar-03.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Req: The Urge for Going
From: Susan A-R
Date: 12 Aug 99 - 09:59 PM

Not far off, considering that I pulled it out of my aging memory.

Susan

Oh, I heard Dave Van Ronk doing a wonderful rendition of a Brecht song. Did he do more of 'em? Where can I find them? P'raps I'll start another thread on this one. He does Brecht VERY well.