Pop Song 340 of 500 'River' Joni Mitchell 1971

Pop Song 340 of 500 'River' Joni Mitchell 1971

The song is about the recent breakup of a romantic relationship, with the singer longing to escape her painful emotional bonds. It is thought to be inspired by Mitchell's 1968–1970 relationship with Graham Nash. Although the song is merely set near Christmas time, rather than being about Christmas, it has become something of a modern Christmas standard. Writer Will Blythe believes the song is connected to a visit to Chapel Hill that Mitchell made with then beau James Taylor and a caroling session with his family, the Taylor family, and Mitchell.

The piano accompaniment to the vocal borrows heavily from the tune to the 19th-century winter song "Jingle Bells".

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 gonna make a lot of money, then I'm gonna quit this crazy scene
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
Oh, 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
But 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
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
Oh, 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, singing songs of joy and peace
I wish I had a river I could skate away on