Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen had a brief romantic relationship after meeting at the Newport Folk Festival in 1967, and fans and critics have long speculated that several of their songs were inspired by their short time together. Mitchell herself has acknowledged Cohen's influence on her work, and both artists appear to have drawn on personal moments from the relationship in their songwriting, offering a glimpse into how their romance shaped some of their most enduring material.

Mitchell's "A Case of You" contains the line "I am as constant as a northern star," which she has said Cohen originally said to her, a borrowing she has defended as taking inspiration from life rather than plagiarism. Cohen's "Winter Lady" describes a fleeting, detached romance that some believe reflects their brief affair, while Mitchell's "Rainy Night House" recalls a specific memory of falling asleep at Cohen's home while he watched over her, an anecdote she confirmed in an interview with Malka Maron.