Christmas is a time of joy and giving, but could it also mean something else? For some people, the holidays are a reminder of their loneliness and sadness. Joni Mitchell’s song, “River,” brings a glum and gloomy side to Christmas.
“River” was released in 1971 off of Mitchell’s “Blue” album. The “Blue” album was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
The song “River” expresses regret for ending a relationship, which then leads to being alone during Christmas time. The album has an overall feeling of melancholy and the song “River” just captures the whole energy of the album.
Mitchell expresses through the song how she just wants to get away from all the festivities of the holidays. She says, “Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on.” Sometimes, the warm and bright feelings of Christmas just make the lonely feel more lonely, the sad times even sadder.
Joni Mitchell has accomplished a lot throughout her life. At age 80, she is still involved in the musical world. Just last year, she was a special guest speaker at the 2022 Grammy’s. Mitchell has earned 10 Grammy awards and the Lifetime Achievement Award.
“River” is not available on all streaming platforms. Joni Mitchell paired up with Neil Young and took a stand against Spotify. Her music is not available on Spotify because she is protesting Joe Rogan’s podcast that Spotify produced.
Joni Mitchell’s other songs, including “River,” are available on Apple and Amazon Music.