In early 1970, Mitchell's relationship with Graham Nash had recently ended, and she decided to fly to Greece for a break, with a female friend.

There, Mitchell met a red-haired cane-carrying American, Cary Raditz,[2][3] who was working as a cook at the Mermaid café (now the site of the Petra & Votsalo restaurant).

"Carey" was released as a single, debuting at number 93 on the Billboard Chart on September 4, 1971 and lasting just one week; nevertheless, it remains one of Mitchell's most enduring and popular songs.

Backed by jazz band Tom Scott & The LA Express, and recorded at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles, this reggae/ska version has been criticised by Stephen Davis in Rolling Stone, who went so far as to say that the song was "murdered".

[15] At the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize concert in 2023 honoring Mitchell,[16] Carey was performed by Marcus Mumford as the opening number, with Raditz in attendance in the audience.