River is a 1971 folk song by Joni Mitchell from the album Blue. Written on piano, it carries a spare, aching mood that reflects Mitchell’s breakup around that time, reportedly influenced by her relationship with Graham Nash. Although the lyrics place the scene near Christmas, River is not a Christmas song, yet it has become a modern holiday standard and is widely covered. It was not released as a single, but it is Mitchell’s second-most-recorded song by other artists. The piano accompaniment borrows heavily from the 19th‑century tune Jingle Bells. In 2021 Rolling Stone ranked it No. 247 on their Top 500 Songs of All Time. The track was released by Reprise Records and produced by Joni Mitchell. Notable covers include Linda Ronstadt in 2000 and Ellie Goulding in 2019, the latter reaching No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart as part of a Christmas EP.
