Two Incredible Songs About Feeling Alone In a Crowd

Joni Mitchell's People's Parties And Andy Shauf's Early To The Party

Two songs, written almost fifty years apart, sharing the same sentiment and so beautifully poetic and powerful.

Joni Mitchell's People's Parties still blows my mind. In my humble opinion, I'm not sure there is a better song and lyric ever written that sums up the feeling of awkwardness of being at a party and having that sinking feeling of insecurity. You know that feeling of not quite belonging, and yet everybody else seems to be so at ease with themselves and everyone around them?

Here's the song, followed by the lyric. It's exquisite.

All the people at this party

They've got a lot of style

They've got stamps of many countries

They've got passport smiles

Some are friendly

Some are cutting

Some are watching it from the wings

Some are standing in the centre

Giving to get something

Photo beauty gets attention

Then her eye paint's running down

She's got a rose in her teeth

And a lampshade crown

One minute she's so happy

Then she's crying on someone's knee

Saying laughing and crying

You know it's the same release

I told you when I met you

I was crazy

Cry for us all beauty

Cry for Eddie in the corner

Thinking he's nobody

And Jack behind his joker

And stone-cold Grace behind her fan

And me in my frightened silence

Thinking I don't understand

I feel like I'm sleeping

Can you wake me

You seem to have a broader sensibility

I'm just living on nerves and feelings

With a weak and a lazy mind

And coming to people's parties

Fumbling deaf dumb and blind

I wish I had more sense of humour

Keeping the sadness at bay

Throwing the lightness on these things

Laughing it all away.

And then, almost fifty years later Andy Shauf writes this:

Early to the party

You're the first one there

Overdressed and underprepared

Standing in the kitchen

Stressing out the host

Pulling teeth 'til anyone arrives

Excuse yourself and smoke a cigarette outside

There's three new faces coming up the drive

Exhale nervous greetings as they shuffle past

Can't he ever show up on time?

Bird on the wall

Catch her calling all the shots

Catch her tying you in knots

Won't let you leave

What happened to manners

I guess he's had a few

He's talking shit

He never thinks of you

So bite your lip and watch him walk off with his friends

Leaving you all alone once again

Bird on the wall

Catch her calling all the shots

Catch her tying you in knots

Won't let you leave

I love music.