“The scene is scored—now you have to put in the dialogue…”

Sometimes the words come first, and then it’s easier, because you know exactly what melodic inflection is needed. Given the melody first, you can say, for instance, “OK, in the A section, I can get away with narrative, descriptive. In the B, I can only speak directly, because of the way the chords are moving. I have to make a direct statement. And in the C section, the chords are so sincere and heartrending that what I have to say has to be kind of profound, even to myself.” Theatrically speaking, the scene is scored—now you have to put in the dialogue.

—Joni Mitchell