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Today, we're featuring a "Great Christmas Song of the '70s" that's not really about Christmas at all.
True, variations of "Jingle Bells" can be heard throughout, and true, it's centered around the Holiday season, but "River" by Joni Mitchell is really about heartbreak and regret.
A few weeks ago, we featured 1970's "Our House," by Crosby, Stills and Nash. Basically, it was written by Graham Nash, who was remembering a day of easy domestic bliss with Joni.
Unfortunately, things were about to change.
By the end of the year, Joni was incredibly conflicted. Not only did she feel the romance was slowly dying, she was very uncomfortable with all the accolades her music was receiving by both fans and critics.
To get away from it all, she took a trip to Europe (metaphorically skating away on a frozen "River"), and while visiting Crete, she telegrammed Graham to break things off.
She then sat down at a piano and wrote the song--blaming herself for being "hard-to-handle" and for the mess she made of the relationship.
"River" was added to Joni's 1971 album, "Blue," which was actually released in June...obviously NOT the Holiday season. It has never been released as a single.
It's sad, wistful, and beautiful in its own way. Over the years, it has become a Holiday season standard, covered by more than 400 artists, including Barry Manilow, who took his version to #$17 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart in 2002.
Note: Sarah McLachlan recorded a cover version for her 2006 "Wintersong" album that's absolutely exceptional!
Today, Joni says the song is "for people who are lonely during the Holidays...and there needs to be a song for them." It's hard to argue with that.
"River" by Joni Mitchell: a "Great Christmas Song of 1971." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLHxxBTl71I
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