Mitchell, Joni - Raised On Robbery Lyrics

II saw Nash the Slash in the Empire Hotel in Timmins Ontario. its near the Maple Leaf Lounge where Stompin Tom started Stompin. Song reminds me of that trip North.

a great Canadian girl....!

The. Great. Joe. Sample on the. Clavinet

I had no idea that she wrote this amazing song. She's so talented.

I always thought the line was - Look at those Jokers LOSING that damn hockey game.

Fantastic Joni....you really was rocking when you gave birth to this one..

I love this woman! Cmon

copyrights ?

Love Love Love this song! Thank You Joni Mitchell.

This song lyrics are so damn cool. Double entendres from start to finish, and all satisfyingly dirty as hell.

"I'm a pretty good cook
Sitting on my groceries
Come up to my kitchen
I'll show you my best recipe...

 "I try and I try but I can't save a cent
I'm up after midnight, cooking
Trying to make my rent."

But you get the idea.

Her Debut on Asylum David Geffen's label also the label's first issue.

Ring tone for my phone!

Cool Tune. I believe that is a true story.

Ps not dissing you poetically cuz that u have in aces...just your stupid Hillary corrupted politics....so sad Joan your way to smart to be duped...

Ya know some thing JoNie ass hole liberal ...you were just plain wrong. Wrong then...Wrong now...liberalism sucks!,,,, and so does your wrinkled old ass political system! Same age not same stupid!

He was sitting in the lounge of the Empire Hotel
He was drinking for diversion, he was thinking for himself
A little money riding on the Maple Leafs
Along comes a lady in lacy sleeves
She says, let me sit down, you know drinking alone's a shame, it's a shame, it's a crying shame
Look at those jokers glued to that damn hockey game
Hey honey, you've got lots of cash
Bring us down a bottle and we'll have some laughs
Gin's what I'm drinking, I was raised on robbery

I'm a pretty good cook, sitting on my groceries
Come up to my kitchen, I'll show you my best recipe
I try and I try but I can't save a cent
I'm up after midnight cooking, trying to make my rent
I'm rough but I'm pleasing, I was raised on robbery

We had a little money once, they were pushing through a four lane highway
Government gave us three thousand dollars, you should have seen it fly away
First he bought a '57 Biscayne, he put it in the ditch
He drunk up all the rest, that son of a bitch
His blood's bad whiskey, I was raised on robbery

You know you ain't bad looking, I like the way you hold your drinks
Come home with me honey, I ain't asking for no full-length mink
Hey, where you going, don't go yet
Your glass ain't empty and we just met
You're mean when you're loaded, I was raised on robbery




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Play "Raised On Robbery"
on Amazon Music
Writer(s): Joni Mitchell
AZLyrics J Joni Mitchell Lyrics
album: "Court And Spark" (1974)

Joni makes Canada proud. One of her best. Great sound engineering! Released on December 8, 1973, reaching # 65 on February 22, 1974.

Shwe sure does!!

will never forget a solo troubadour show back in the day when rapturous applause brought joni back to the stage for a third encore with her hands on her hips saying, "who do you think i am, the grateful dead?"

What a ditty

If you got lots of cash just let me know!!!

Man, I wish Joni had done a couple hundred more like this one rather than all those high-octave ballads ....

LOVE THIS CHICK

Robbie Robertson on Lead..

was at joni's concert the afternoon nixon left the whitehouse...She came out early and announced it, that much i remember clearly, rest is a haze, helluva party.

How Canadian.....Maple Leafs. Great bottom end.

Someone said that the line about the '57 Biscayne' was wrong, because Chevy stopped production of the Biscayne in '56?

Actually, they didn't start making the Biscayne model line until '58. Stopped in '72. But the son of a bitch couldda bought a '58 in the fall of '57, I guess.

.... Tom SCOTT on SAX ! ! ! ...

Tom SCOTT on SAX ! ! !

Great voice and a good sound also.I love her music,.

She is among the all time greats

TY, one of my favs of her songs!

Great, Great, Great Band!!! This is real music....take that rap bastards.

Oh how the closed minded make themselves look foolish.
There are good and bad rap acts just like - as good as Joni is - there are dogshit folk/pop artists.

She's been out of the spotlight for a few years. I hope people don't forget how awesome she is and was. This song is so amazing and I think when she was at her best. I know she likes to be known as an artist.... this is artistry in music. Just love her music.

Joni Mitchell was hospitalised in 2015 following a brain aneurysm.

Yayy! I feel good now.

I saw her do this live on the Shadow and Light tour--efffing incredible.

One of my favorite Joni Mitchell songs...

I just love this song... it reminds me of the Andrews Sisters at their naughtiest....

Love this tune!  And Joni!

One "viewer" does not like this awesome tune?

Shame on You!

Joni Mitchell is So Great!

+DebbieFan70 Seriously. How can one not LOVE her?

24 viewers must have lost money on that d@mn Leafs hockey game

This has always been one of my all time favourites by a very ailing Joni Mitchell. I always loved the way it always started.

sounds like tom scott on sax.

Well produced tune and great backing.

entered Cashbox Dec 29, 1973

I once saw mick jagger sitting at the bar in the empire hotel in nyc. Would rather have seen Joni

@Marion Merifield They could have been playing the Rangers/Islanders/Devils......

@Cartop Camper Oh Canada!

Hotel referred to in this song is the Empire Hotel in Regina - she also mentions the twinning of the Number One Highway across Saskatchewan in 1974 as the reason for the cash windfall that was squandered by the hooker's boyfriend. Believe me - she portrayed the denizens of the Empire Hotel accurately in one song.

Maybe, maybe not. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/sun-sets-on-the-huntsville-empire/article4289369/

I saw a contest once. First prize was an all expenses paid trip to Saskatchewan. Second prize was 2 trips.

This song should be played loud while making dinner. Dancing around the stove is required with a beverage in your hand.  Good times!

Hell yeah to that.

Great comment to a wonderful song!

And "Nekkid"!

Double nekkid

I agree. Done it a few times

This song takes me back, and it still sounds as good as it did when I was a relative pup. Joni, thanks, you had the nerve to do it and the spirit to make it important.

One of her best! Took me years (and better audio equipment) to get all the lyrics figured out. Can somebody please post the studio version of "Africa"?

yes,one of her best indeed! (and,of course,she had a lot of great ones.)

Look at those jokers Glued to that damn hockey game

I'm rough but I'm pleasing I was raised on robbery

*Brillant*

I always thought it was "Look at those jokers losing that damn hockey game" am i wrong?  I may well be!

Well I get it because I am Canadian and my graany used to say that about me and my dad''"those 2 are glued to that game" Plus I had the album Court&Spark and the lyrics were on the inside .....*Cheers*

@Laurie Campbell I also thought it was "Look at those jokers losing that damn hockey game". Those words have been spoken about the Leafs millions of times between then and now. But the actual lyrics are "glued to".

First he bought a '57 Biscayne, he put it in the ditch
He drank up all the rest, that son of a bitch

I mean come on. Her word play is as brilliant as Paul Simon’s or Steven Sondheim’s.

thanks for uploading this 

isn;t ther an empirre hotel in every city.. well iknow there used to be one in edmonton, pretty sure they had one in regina and calgary as well

Joni Mitchell stayed at the Empire Hotel, Regina (Worlds coldest off sale) in the 60's. This song was on the juke box. Est 1912 it's still there and this song still sums it up beautifully.

As someone who shared many beers with Joni, I can assure you that she was writing and singing about the Empire Hotel on 2nd Avenue in Saskatoon where she grew up and her parents lived.

Never noticed an Empire Hotel but there's been a Queen's in every town I've ever seen. (James, do you have a really tiny keyboard on your phone?)

Isn't there an Empire Hotel in Vancouver? I know of the Royal York in Toronto.

Makes me proud to be Canadian !!!

thank you , thank you very much

you got that right elvis!

Damn, this was when she was at her peak.

Yowser !!!!!

Love it!!

great little song. you go joni.

I don't remember one in toon town. But this song could be any conversation any night there for the last couple decades. WORLDS COLDEST OFFSALE.

this the empire hotel in regina...she talkin bout...or is there an empire in toon

yes it is!!! until you hear the next one....

don't go yet , your glass aint empty and we just met <3 it :) QC

You're mean when you're loaded...

one of her best.She has so many, must admit though lyrics are heart felt i think in her sometimes complicated life.She is wrong about 57 biscayne they didnt come out til 58

Joni's best song.

Robbie Robertson on guitar! Tom Scott on sax!

I was in the very same Empire Hotel lounge over Christmas - it had been awhile but it hadn't changed much. Joni could write the exact same song in 2013 judging by the clientele and atmosphere - by coincidence the World juniors were on the tube at the time.

Joni's Greatest - Pure Canadiana ! Love this song tanks for posting.

obvious homage to Bette Midler

diddymuck: ???

So right. This girl has gone through so much in her private life.She helped cause me a divorce I cannot thank her enough

You must see her live UNBELIEVABLE.

Thanks for posting! Good one!