Joni Mitchell‘s “River” makes its way onto Christmas playlists every year, even if it’s far from the typical upbeat holiday song. Many other artists have covered it as well, understanding that it goes to a much more profound place than the typical carol.
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Mitchell included it on Blue, the album that became a singer/songwriter landmark, so it’s clear she didn’t have reaping royalties every December in mind when she wrote it. Instead, she was reflecting on how a breakup’s aftermath left her feeling the season was anything but jolly.
Nash Away
Joni Mitchell stood out from her singer/songwriting peers in myriad ways. Many have noted how her unusual chord structures put her more in line with what could be expected of jazz artists. In addition, Mitchell wrote about her personal life with very few filters between what actually happened and what made it into the songs.
This included her romantic relationships with some very famous folks, such as Graham Nash of The Hollies and later Crosby, Stills & Nash. It was her breakup with Nash that inspired several of the songs on Blue, the 1971 album that set Mitchell apart from the singer/songwriter pack.
At the time, there was no social media around to endlessly speculate on the topics of various songs, so it’s likely many people heard Blue, and “River” in particular, and didn’t have any clue as to the identity of the person about whom Mitchell was singing. But Nash certainly knew, which caused him some ambivalence when it came to the record and the song, as he told Songfacts:
“It took me a while to listen to Blue again after the first time because there’s two or three songs on there that I’m part of. And ‘River’ is a beautiful, beautiful song: I wish I had a river I could skate away on. When Joni and I were breaking up, we both knew it was going to be difficult. We both loved each other tremendously. We had spent a couple of years lighting up rooms when we walked in. It was painful. It took me a while before I could relisten to Blue.”
Exploring the Lyrics of “River”
Mitchell cleverly adorns “River” with some of the musical trappings of the season, such as the brief segue into the melody for “Jingle Bells.” She contrasts with the overall somberness of the main tune, which is somehow soothing and lonely all at once, much like a frosty, barren winter landscape.
The narrator looks out at this scene and initially sees the happy trappings: It’s coming on Christmas / They’re cutting down trees / They’re putting up reindeer / And singing songs of joy and peace. That’s when she hits us with the heartbreak: Oh, I wish I had a river / That I could skate away on.
Those lines suggest she’s more at home in a wintry, frozen setting, one that matches her melancholy. Instead, her climate stubbornly resists: But it don’t snow here / It stays pretty green. After musing about trying to teach her feet to fly, we find out the reason for her wishes to escape: I made my baby cry.
She looks back with fondness at her ex’s demeanor: He tried hard to help me / You know, he put me at ease. Later, she blames herself for their separation: I’m so hard to handle / I’m selfish and I’m sad. The end result is immutable: Now I’ve gone and lost the best baby / That I ever had.
Maybe there are some folks out there who would object to “River” being labeled a Christmas song, since the timing is less important to the song’s meaning than the sorrow at the center of it. But hearts break at Christmas just as they do any other time of the year, and Joni Mitchell’s “River” is the ideal anthem for those unable to get on board with all the festive activity surrounding them.
Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage
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