Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and throughout western Canada, before moving on to the nightclubs of Toronto, Ontario. She moved to the United States and began touring in 1965. Some of her original songs ("Urge for Going", "Chelsea Morning", "Both Sides, Now", "The Circle Game") were recorded by other folk singers, allowing her to sign with Reprise Records and record her debut album, Song to a Seagull, in 1968. Settling in Southern California, Mitchell helped define an era and a generation with popular songs like "Big Yellow Taxi" and "Woodstock". Her 1971 album Blue is often cited as one of the best albums of all time; it was rated the 30th best album ever made in Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time", rising to number 3 in the 2020 edition. In 2000, The New York Times chose Blue as one of the 25 albums that represented "turning points and pinnacles in 20th-century popular music". NPR ranked Blue number 1 on a 2017 list of Greatest Albums Made by Women.
Mitchell switched labels and began exploring more jazz-influenced melodic ideas, by way of lush pop textures, on 1974's Court and Spark, which featured the radio hits "Help Me" and "Free Man in Paris" and became her best-selling album. Mitchell's vocal range began to shift from mezzo-soprano to more of a wide-ranging contralto around 1975. Her distinctive piano and open-tuned guitar compositions also grew more harmonically and rhythmically complex as she melded jazz with rock and roll, R&B, classical music and non-Western beats. In the late 1970s, she began working with noted jazz musicians including Jaco Pastorius, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Pat Metheny as well as Charles Mingus, who asked her to collaborate on his final recordings. She later turned to pop and electronic music and engaged in political protest. She was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards in 2002 and became a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2021.
Mitchell produced or co-produced most of her albums. A critic of the music industry, she quit touring and released her 17th and last album of original songs in 2007. Mitchell has designed most of her own album covers, describing herself as a "painter derailed by circumstance".
Rivers
Joni Mitchell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
Then I'm going to 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
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 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
The lyrics to Joni Mitchell and James Taylor's song "River" tell a story of loneliness and longing for escape during the holiday season. The singer wishes for a river to skate away on, surrounded by the festive imagery of Christmas trees and reindeer. However, she laments that where she is, it doesn't snow and Christmas is not quite the same. She expresses her desire to make money and escape from her current situation, which she describes as crazy. Throughout the song, she reveals that she is difficult to handle and has lost the love of her life.
The line "I wish I had a river I could skate away on" is a metaphor for escape and freedom. The singer is feeling trapped by her circumstances and wishes to leave them behind. The mention of Christmas trees and reindeer creates a contrast to the singer's desire to escape, highlighting the juxtaposition of holiday cheer and her loneliness. The line "I'm so hard to handle, I'm selfish and I'm sad" shows her self-reflection and acceptance of her flaws, while also creating empathy from the listener.
Overall, "River" is a poignant reflection on the conflicting emotions of the holiday season and the universal desire for freedom and a fresh start.
Line by Line Meaning
It's coming on Christmas
The holiday season is approaching
They're cutting down trees
People are chopping down trees to decorate for Christmas
They're putting up reindeer
Reindeer decorations are being put up for the holiday season
And singing songs of joy and peace
There is a traditional sense of happiness and love during Christmas time
Oh I wish I had a river
The artist wishes they had a river to skate away on, possibly to escape the stress of the holiday season
I could skate away on
The singer desires to escape their current situation
But it don't snow here
The singer's current location is not conducive to ice skating because there is no snow
It stays pretty green
The artist's surroundings remain lush and green, rather than becoming a winter wonderland
I'm going to make a lot of money
The artist has plans to earn a substantial amount of money
Then I'm going to quit this crazy scene
The artist intends to escape their current lifestyle after gaining financial security
I wish I had a river so long
The singer desires a river that is long enough to allow them to escape their current situation for an extended period of time
I would teach my feet to fly
The artist would become so adept at ice skating on this river that it would feel like flying
I made my baby cry
The singer did something to upset their significant other
He tried hard to help me
The singer's partner made an effort to assist them
You know, he put me at ease
The singer's partner made them feel comfortable and safe
And he loved me so naughty
The artist's partner loved them in a playful and mischievous way
Made me weak in the knees
The artist's partner made them feel overwhelmed with emotion
I'm so hard to handle
The singer recognizes that they are a difficult person to deal with
I'm selfish and I'm sad
The singer acknowledges their own flaws, which may have contributed to their relationship troubles
Now I've gone and lost the best baby
The artist has lost the best partner they ever had
That I ever had
The artist is mourning the loss of their significant other
I made my baby say goodbye
The artist's behavior led to their partner ending the relationship
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Crazy Crow Music / Siquomb Music Publishing
Written by: Joni Mitchell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RichardFeynmanRules
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
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
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
And singing songs of joy and peace
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
@oldsoul1187
I will never forget my first time hearing this in 1971.I cried. I did so again today. At 70, the only constant is the beauty of this song., Joni's voice and my need to still hope for a better world.
@lauribaldwin4262
I agree wholeheartedly, here's to 2022 !
@carolohmartbehan
Dear oldsoul.....this 72-yr. old appreciates your memory and sentiments.....and echoing my own need to still hope for a better world ✨🎄💜🎄✨
@josephinebehan9431
Beautiful 🥰
@stevenwolf8434
This 74 year old yearns for a better World
@srsolarwarriornw9465
Another Boosted Boomer 70 here and we agree, She is a treasure to be listened to over and over and over.
@joancarey5688
This song is 52 years old….its timeless… I’m 81 years young… and it still moves me to tears!
@juliehenry7203
Same! I'm 65, but remember when this song came out. Joni, Carly & James... Had every single album (playing them CONSTANTLY) until it drove my entire family nuts! Listening to Joni... & hearing this young lady who sang this song on *The Voice*, Lila Forde... Let's just say it REALLY took me back to my early teens. ❤
@julieward9011
I’m 76 playing it now… my favorite Christmas song!!!
@peterschancel7223
This ls great ,,There is a version With Snoopy skating from Chralie Brown that will make you smile. Best to all