Joni Mitchell "Blue" released 55 years ago

[maxrandb]

Last edited Tue Jun 23, 2026, 12:00 PM - Edit history (1)

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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
Singing songs of joy and peace
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on

[patphil]

1. I think "Blue" was her best album.

I particularly liked James Taylor's contribution on several songs. It gave added depth to her music.

[maxrandb]

2. I'm giving it a spin right now

Not only one of her best, but one of the best LPs ever.

[Martin68]

3. Have always loved this album.

[thucythucy]

4. A truly great work of art, but

it was released in 1971. So maybe this is a repost?

Together with "John Lennon Plastic Ono Band" this was a breakthrough in honesty, and self-confessional in the way Life Studies by Robert Lowell, Kaddish by Allen Ginsberg, and Ariel by Sylvia Plath were breakthroughs.

Grateful to them all for their courage in putting so much on the line.

Thanks for posting.

[maxrandb]

6. You're right. 55 years ago. I fixed it

[NNadir]

5. When I was playing in clubs, I used to cover this as a medley...

...with California Dreaming - a poor rendition built off Jose Feliciano's version- and her Shades of Scarlett Conquering.

I loved that song, River. When I lived in California before I met my future wife, I could really feel and sing it like it mattered in my then unhappy love life.