Joni Mitchell’s “River” Will Make You Want To Skate Away To Simpler Times This Holiday Season

Live From Royal Albert Hall, 1971

Written in 1971 and featured on Joni Mitchell’s album Blue, ‘River’ has over time become a modern Christmas standard despite being a song about a failed relationship. With the tune from ‘Jingle Bells’ playing softly in the song’s intro and a few key references to Christmas and youth, though, it’s hard to listen to ‘River’ and not feel nostalgic – for what, we don’t know. Maybe Christmases past that were full of the joy and peace Joni sings about, or for a life that was far simpler than trying to figure out how to mend broken relationships. It’s one of Joni’s most covered songs, and while it was never actually released as a single, it’s far and away one of Joni’s most iconic pieces.

Fun Fact: Famous covers of ‘River‘ include those from James Taylor, Heart, and Barry Manilow – even actor Robert Downey, Jr. recorded his own!

This exclusive audio of ‘River’ is from her ultra rare, hilariously hard to find 1971 performance at Royal Albert Hall, and leave it to Joni Mitchell to give a vocal performance that’s even better live than it is in studio. We dare you not to well up just a little when she hits the high note on, “Oh, I wish I had a river so long / I would teach my feet to fly” – it’s one of the most beautiful parts of the song and if we’re this awestruck by just an audio recording of it, we can only imagine that her crowd that night was stunned into silence.

+ River lyrics +

It’s coming on Christmas
They’re cutting down trees
They’re putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on

But it don’t snow here
It stays pretty green
I’m going to make a lot of money
Then I’m going to quit this crazy scene
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on

I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
I wish I had a river I could skate away on
I made my baby cry

He tried hard to help me
You know, he put me at ease
And he loved me so naughty
Made me weak in the knees
Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on

I’m so hard to handle
I’m selfish and I’m sad
Now I’ve gone and lost the best baby
That I ever had
I wish I had a river I could skate away on

Oh, I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I made my baby say goodbye

It’s coming on Christmas
They’re cutting down trees
They’re putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
I wish I had a river I could skate away on