The Three Great Stimulants Songtext
von Joni Mitchell

I picked the morning paper off the floor
It was full of other people′s little wars
Wouldn't they like their peace?
Don′t we get bored?

And we call for the three great stimulants
Of the exhausted ones
Artifice, brutality and innocence
Artifice and innocence

No tanks have ever rumbled through these streets
And the drone of planes at night has never frightened me
I keep the hours and the company that I please

And we call for the three great stimulants
Of the exhausted ones
Artifice, brutality and innocence
Artifice and innocence


Oh, and deep in the night
Our appetites find us
Release us and blind us
Deep in the night
While madmen sit up building bombs
And making laws and bars
They'd like to slam free choice behind us

I saw a little lawyer on the tube
He said, "It's so easy now, anyone can sue
Let me show you how your petty aggravations can profit you!"

Call for the three great stimulants
Of the exhausted ones
Artifice, brutality and innocence
Artifice and innocence

Oh, and deep in the night
Appetites find us
Release us and blind us
Deep in the night
While madmen sit up building bombs
And making laws and bars
They′re gonna slam free choice behind us

Last night I dreamed I saw the planet flicker
Great forests fell like buffalo
Everything got sicker
And to the bitter end
Big business bickered


And they call for the three great stimulants
Of the exhausted ones
Artifice, brutality and innocence
Artifice and innocence

Oh, these times
Oh, these changing times
Changing the hearts of all mankind
Oh, these changing times

Oh, these times, these times, these times
Oh, these changing times
Changing the hearts of all mankind
Oh, these troubled times
Ooh, these times
Oh, these changing times
Changing the hearts of all mankind
Oh, these changing times