Can I have some anti-Catholic bias with my Frappuccino?

What Catholic prisons is she talking about? Do they make prisoners wear plaid uniforms? Oh, the humanity!

Yeah, I didn't get it either, so I searched for the rest of the lyrics and they really explain what she was saying:
"Shine on the Catholic Church
And the prisons that it owns
Shine on all the Churches
They all love less and less
Shine on a hopeful girl
In a dreamy dress"

Oh wait. No they don't. I think basically she is annoyed with a bunch of stuff and this more or less fit her ryhming scheme.

"They paved paradise and put up a Starbucks" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

I believe that Joni is stuck in a rut and trying to match the (fairly) successful rendition of "The Magdelene Laundry", about "incorrigible" Irish girls who were sent by their families (or courts) to work in convent laundries until the age of majority. Many were mistreated at particular convents, so that's probably the "prison" of which she's singing. Nevermind that the laundries were closed more than 30 years ago.

I think the prison reference is to Guantanamo. Inexplicably, for liberals George Bush & Pope Benedict seem to morph together into the same person.

I'm making up protest signs that say "Death to those who insult Catholicism!" and "Behead those who denegrate the Church!" Who's with me!...oh, no wait, sorry, they say "Forgive those who insult Catholicism" and "Love those who denegrate the Church". Somehow I don't think my protest will garner much attention.

Joni Mitchell: This is your brain on drugs.

I'd like to hear her comment on what those "prisons" she refers to are...

It appears that despite the blatantly attention-grabbing headline that would appear to call Joni out on her rude lyrics, the reviewer/reporter/whatever actually LIKES the song or her new album? I'm confused...

And this is put out by Starbucks? Well, just saved myself a whole lotta dough on joe, then, didn't I? Thanks, Joni!

What is it about old has-been comics, actors and singers that they think attacks on the Catholic Church are going to bring them back into favor? I guess they can count on press coverage without attacks that will kill their career. It is so prevalent that after a while, you think, meh, another has-been trying to get attention.

Poor ol' woman. And, really, what was it REALLY like to be an orphan in Ireland 'way back when? Were the nuns brutal, or simply reasonable and strict in a desperately poor country>

My Catholic, Benedictine college has a coffee shop which "Proudly Brews" Starbucks coffee. :-(

Do we rwally have to worry? Does anyone even listen to Joni Mitchell anymore? I mean, besides Sister Chittister?

Joni Mitchell is just an old Canadian hippie. No one listens to her anymore. She was very influential in the arts in Canada, (to our detriment, IMO) She drives me crazy when I hear her squeak out that song "Big Yellow Taxi."

The coffee house crowd has always been given more than their due. Go out on the street and mention this, 9 out of 10 times the reply will be; "Joni who?".

The tenth time the respondent will vaguely remember some singer from the Flowerpower Age.

Just another has been seeking recognition in a time not their own.

I think she's been reading Jack Chick too much. Is she talking about those secret prisons under the Vatican for when the new inquisition is launched?

SHH! Joni, you'll spoil the surprise.

Honestly, Joni, Jack did it better earlier.

This saddens me! I've known Joni Mitchell was a hippy and not a good role model for quite some time, but I still enjoyed her non-politically/philosophically-overt music.

Would I be a bad person for continuing to buy coffee from Starbucks?

Shine on ignorant liberalism / and the hatred that you spew

Shine on outdated singers / misery loves company

And a "hear, hear!" to iClaudius. I've quoted you - I hope that's okay. Of course, the whole inspiration for my post is siphoned from Prince Curt, as is more frequent than I'd like to admit.

"And, really, what was it REALLY like to be an orphan in Ireland 'way back when? Were the nuns brutal, or simply reasonable and strict in a desperately poor country?"

Unfortunately, the nuns in some of the Magdalene Laundries were indeed brutal and cruel. Many people left the church as a result of the scandal that erupted in Ireland when the abuses in the laundries were finally uncovered.

In a less serious note, I think Joni Mitchell's corageous song denouncing those underground witch-burning Catholic prisions will spark the ire of the Vatican. Expect all sort of riots and terrorists attacks as a result, perpetrated by albino Opus Dei assassins and nuns with rulers. What a brave, brave woman!

"What a brave, brave woman!"

Especially since we know where she lives. In fact, we have a complete dossier on her. She can't make a move unless we know about it. If I were Joni Mitchell, I'd sleep with one eye open! (Not that it would do her any good...)

How about she sing this little ditty:

"Shine on the Radical Islam
And the cultural prisons that it owns
Shine on all the Wahabist Mosques
They all love less and less
Shine on a hopeless girl
In a dreadful burka to cover her face.

Don't hold your breath. We'll never hear a tired, decrepit, 1968 maggot-infested hippy do something that takes real guts.

They paved an empty lot
Put up a bigot's spot
With overrated coffee
At an exhorbitant price
And an anti-Catholic snot

>"What Catholic prisons is she talking about? Do they make prisoners wear plaid uniforms? Oh, the humanity!"

I think she might be referring to the bad, tacky, and out of style polyester clothing that all those post Vatican II nuns...uhh sisters... uh whatever they call themselves are forced to wear.

I think that everyone is entirley too sensitive to this issue and needs to understand a few things. If you truly love the lord, a song by Joni Mitchell is not going to change that. If your faith is faltering, then perhaps she may have an affect on you.

However; people who are former Catholics have probably expierinced something in their lives that may have assisted them more than a song.

Joni Mitchell and Media were not around in Hitler's day, so what was his exucse?

People need to take responsibility for their own actions and not be so quick to point the blame on anyone. Your faith should be as unconditional as the gods love is. At their core, any religion has a great intention to help us to be more kind, loving, forgiving and understanding people. When you tell people how to live their lives through religion, you are no better than Joni is.

You shouldn't lower yourself to her level, you should rise above it and demonstrate the love that was given to you by the lord through acceptance.

If you go around bashing Joni, you are truly no better than she is.

"Wow, Joni Mitchell's still alive?" was my first thought. "Ho-hum", was my second.

I just saw the photo...I live on the Westside in the "greater LA area", and I can spot plastic surgery at 30 paces. Nice tightening job, Jones! They paved what again?