Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell was going through a rough time in the early '70s that led to one of her most well-known hits, "River." The track was never meant to become a holiday classic, with details on its inspiration open to interpretation.
"River" was released in June 1971 and failed to land on the Billboard charts, but its infamy among fans made it a folk classic. Written on a piano, the track's lyrics are set during Christmas time and have a discernible sound to "Jingle Bells." While the song was never intended by the singer as such, the track was explained by critics as "there's no holiday tune that feels quite as chilly."
According to American Songwriter, Mitchell revealed years later that “‘River" expresses regret at the end of a relationship, but it’s also about being lonely at Christmastime." She also added that it's a track for people who are lonely during the holiday season.
Mitchell's lyric of "I wish I had a river, I could skate away on" captured the reflection of a lost relationship during the winter months. A common interpretation of the song's inspiration is based on Mitchell's breakup with then-boyfriend Graham Nash. The two singer-songwriters were in a high-profile relationship in the late 1960s into the early '70s. They split up as their demanding careers accelerated, and Mitchell was not ready to settle down into a long-term and committed relationship.
Nash would reveal that he never fully got over the breakup and continued writing about Mitchell for years. "River" is said to have been a result of the breakup for Mitchell, with the song also having another popular interpretation.
Longtime friend Linda Ronstadt covered "River" in 2000 and believed Mitchell's original song was about her daughter. Mitchell has spoken openly of being pregnant in the 1960s when the father of her child left her with no money during the winter. As her marriage ended, she put the child up for adoption and would later become one of music's biggest icons.
“I think that’s what a lot of her singing is about, because it has this very sad tinge,” said Ronstadt to The Washington Post.
In 1997, Mitchell learned that her daughter was looking for her biological mother, and the singer jumped at the opportunity. Her daughter, Kilauren Gibb, described their reunion as having "felt like I had gone away on a trip for a couple of months and I was coming home.”Since the release of "River," it's been covered more than 1,000 times by various artists.
Related: 1969 Folk Ballad, Written During an Airport Layover, Became a Nostalgic No. 1 Classic
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