Runaway (2010) – The National

Posted on June 26, 2024 by observationblogger — 7 Comments

Runaway is classic restraint music from The National. It’s the 8th song on their 5th album High Violet. Ever since I first heard Runaway, I got swept away in it’s atmospheric soundscapes and sparse instrumentals. I often find myself putting it on repeat such is the lure of its slow melodic burn. It always calms me. The way the music rises quietly throughout…. It is as if the facts of the situation have not changed and everything is still awful, but you find some reason to hope for a better future despite everything. You have to persevere.

There are two distinct ‘camps’ of interpretation of this song. One is that writers Matt Berninger (singer) and Aaron Dessner (guitar, piano) are lamenting the future of society due to catastrophic consequences of global warming. I contend that it can mean whatever it means to you.
So for me it’s always been a haunting song about being in a relationship that is apparently doomed. If read like a poem it could only be interpreted as a tragedy: What makes you think I’m enjoying being led to the flood? / We got another thing comin’ undone / And it’s takin’ us over.

He clearly loves this person dearly and even though it will inevitably fall apart – There’s no saving anything, but he can’t bring himself to leave: I won’t be no runaway, cause I won’t run.

You see things are not always bad between them unless they start arguing: We don’t bleed, when we don’t fight / Go ahead, go ahead / Throw your arms in the air tonight.

[Verse 1]
There’s no savin’ anything
Now we’re swallowing the shine of the summer
There’s no savin’ anything
How we swallow the sun

[Pre-Chorus]
But I won’t be no runaway
‘Cause I won’t run
No, I won’t be no runaway
What makes you think I’m enjoyin’ bein’ led to the flood?
We got another thing comin’ undone
And it’s takin’ us over

[Chorus]
We don’t bleed, when we don’t fight
Go ahead, go ahead
Throw your arms in the air tonight
We don’t bleed, when we don’t fight
Go ahead, go ahead
Lose our shirts in the fire tonight
What makes you think I’m enjoyin’ bein’ led to the flood?
We got another thing comin’ undone

[Pre-Chorus]
[Chorus]

[Verse 2]
I’ll go bravin’ everything
With you swallowin’ the shine of the summer
I’ll go bravin’ everything
Through the shine of the sun

[Pre-Chorus]
[Chorus]
[Outro]
And it’s takin’ forever

The National is an American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio, formed in Brooklyn, New York City, in 1999. High Violet the album which Runaway resides sold 51,000 copies in its first week of sales, charting at number three on the Billboard 200. This marked the National’s highest charting effort at the time. Also, High Violet was released to widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, the album received a score of 85 out of 100 based on 36 reviews. The overall success of this record solidified The National‘s reputation as one of the most important indie rock bands of their generation.
The track Runaway was used in the 2013 film Warm Bodies.

References:
1. High Violet – Wikipedia

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Music

Runaway (1961) – Del Shannon

Posted on June 25, 2024 by observationblogger — 5 Comments

It’s no surprise Runaway topped the chart for 4 consecutive weeks, selling as many as 80,000 singles per day at the peak of its popularity and No 5 song of all of 1961. It’s just so darn ‘cool’! At a time when rock ‘n’ roll was still finding its groove, and radio waves were filled with the infectious sounds of young rebels with guitars. One such iconic tune that managed to transcend its era is Runaway by Del Shannon.

From the infectious country guitar intro to the high rollicking piano which accompanies it, then Shannon sings As I walk along I wonder…the baritone sax kicks in acting like a bass. Then keyboardist Max Crook’s Musitron solo. Just a fantastic music arrangement. From the get-go we are all feeling this guy’s pain of not love ‘lost’, rather love which ‘ran away’. That’s got to hurt.

The birth of Runaway is a tale of serendipity. Del Shannon, born Charles Westover, was a struggling musician playing in small-time bands in Michigan. He teamed up with keyboardist Max Crook, who had a penchant for tinkering with electronics. Together, they created a unique sound using Crook’s custom-built instrument called the Musitron, a precursor to the synthesizer. Legend has it that one night in 1960, Shannon and Crook were performing at the Hi-Lo Club in Battle Creek, Michigan. During a break, they decided to jam on a tune Shannon had been playing around with. Crook’s Musitron solo added a futuristic touch, and just like that, Runaway was born.

[Verse 1]
As I walk along I wonder
A-what went wrong with our love
A love that was so strong
And as I still walk on
I think of the things we’ve done together
A-while our hearts were young

[Chorus]
I’m a-walkin’ in the rain
Tears are fallin’ and I feel the pain
Wishin’ you were here by me
To end this misery
And I wonder
I wah-wah-wah-wah-wonder
Why
Why, why, why, why, why she ran away
And I wonder
A-where she will stay-ay
My little runaway
A-run, run, run, run, runaway

References:
1. Runaway (Del Shannon song) – Wikipedia

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Music

Run Like the Wind (1979) – Mike Batt and friends (ft. Roger Chapman)

Posted on June 24, 2024 by observationblogger — 5 Comments

Run Like the Wind is a fitting finale to the scantily known concept album Tarot Suite that was played so often in our house during my youth. My father adored this album like no other. When my parents entertained new friends, my father was insistent this record be played at some point in the evening. I’ve been listening to this album for more than 40 years. It’s been with me through thick and thin and we remain best mates. Run Like the Wind is the 4th song to appear here from Mike Batt’s Tarot Suite. To me the album feels like an epic medieval storytelling trip, but Run Like the Wind acts like an airstrip to return us to some semblance of a conventional grounding; to go back to our lives with a reinvigorated and courageous outlook that we can go anywhere and be anything.

Based on feedback from my previous posts of songs from the album, Tarot Suite does have a small legion of avid followers:

  • A mate’s girlfriend introduced me to Tarot Suite in 1981. I immediately loved it. I’ll admit to a general liking for mixed genres. Mike Batt really combined orchestral and rock well on this album. 
    – Cloth Ears
  • I adore this album and play it constantly, even now. And I am just as mystified as you as to why Mike Batt is such an under-rated composer. Not to mention arranger and producer! However, I look at it this way: I know something that the rest of the world does not….
    -Niki
  • This album … got me started on the road to becoming a tarot reader, lol. I was 12, and loved the music (most of it) but also the cards depicted.
    – Tarot with Kerstin
  • Mike Batt is a pure genius and he will be played long after he is gone !
    Roger Chapman is top notch performing…This album is still fresh after more then 40 years!
    – Diederik

Run Like the Wind stands out not just for its compelling melody but also for its rich narrative and theatrical presentation, a hallmark of Mike Batt’s eclectic career. Batt, a prolific British songwriter and composer, sought to explore themes of fate, destiny, and the human condition through this album. Each track represents a different tarot card, with Run Like the Wind symbolizing the Chariot – a card associated with victory, control, and a journey toward success.

The song’s energetic tempo and dynamic arrangement mirror the card’s meaning, embodying a sense of relentless pursuit and unstoppable momentum. Roger Chapman’s distinctively gritty vocals add a raw, impassioned dimension to the track, reinforcing the urgency and determination that the Chariot symbolizes. Batt’s orchestration, known for its lush and dramatic flair, elevates the song into a powerful anthem of perseverance and triumph.

There’s an eagle in the eastern sky, turning in the wind
Out across the evening, resting on the wing
If I had the wings of an eagle
There’d be no holding me
I’d be free, sailing free

(Chorus)
One day soon I’m gonna run like the wind
One day soon
Gonna break away from everything
One day soon
Nothing in the world’s gonna pull me back
And nothing’s gonna keep me in
Gonna run like the wind

And if you should tell me you want to hold me down
Before the glow of morning, I’ll be gone without a sound
The more you try to keep me in
The less you will succeed
Sailing free, sailing free

(Chorus)
(Chorus)

Tagged with: , , ,
Posted in Music

Rumble (1958) – Link Wray & His Wray Men

Posted on June 23, 2024 by observationblogger — 7 Comments

Certain folks warned us not to go and see this show but I’m going anyway, are you kidding? Anything that sounds this nasty is right in my wheelhouse. Link Wray was playing this back in the 50’s. Can you imagine? It scared so many people it got banned. Anything this good was going to get heard and it was. Man am I glad about that.
– Link Wray Live! – Rumble – Cincinnati Babyhead

This raw and untamed ‘iconic’ instrumental was rejogged to my memory from a recent article by blogger colleague Cincinnati Babyhead. Upon hearing the live version he posted I immediately recognised the tune from the Pulp Fiction soundtrack. It appears in the Uncomfortable Silence scene at Jack Rabbit Slim’s and is tucked away in Collector’s edition bonus tracks. I always thought it was just a grandiose reverb sound that sounded way-cool, and that was that. Heck, I didn’t even know it had a title. So when I read CB‘s article I was surprised to learn a little about the legacy of Runaway.

Most of the remaining information was extracted or paraphrased from various Wikipedia articles:
Rumble is an instrumental by American group Link Wray & His Wray Men. Released in the United States on March 31, 1958, as a single (with “The Swag” as a B-side), Rumble utilized the techniques of distortion and tremolo, then largely unexplored in rock and roll. In 2018, the song was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a new category for singles and inducted to National Recording Registry by Library of Congress.

It’s remarkable to consider that such a brazened and indelible tune was born in 1958, during an era when rock ‘n’ roll was still in its infancy. Fred Lincoln “Link” Wray Jr. (1929 – 2005). a Native American guitarist known for his innovative playing style, composed the song almost by accident. The track was conceived during a live performance at a dance in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Wray’s band was playing a cover of “The Stroll” by The Diamonds when a spontaneous instrumental break led to the creation of a gritty, blues-infused riff that captivated the audience. The song’s title, Rumble, was suggested by a member of the audience, who noted that the music evoked the feeling of a gang fight. Wray’s manager, Fred Lincoln “Link” Wray Sr., recognized the potential of this raw, powerful sound and urged the band to record it.

Rumble became a massive success. It climbed to number 16 on the Billboard chart, an impressive feat for an instrumental track. It was banned from several radio stations across the United States for its perceived association with juvenile delinquency and gang violence, even though it had no lyrics. This ban, ironically, only fueled the song’s mystique and popularity among rebellious teenagers. The innovative use of power chords and distortion, made it a forerunner of the heavy metal and punk rock genres.

References:
1. Link Wray Live! – Rumble – Cincinnati Babyhead
2. Rumble (instrumental) – Wikipedia
3. Link Wray – Wikipedia

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Music

Romeo And Juliet Theme (1968) – Nino Roto

Posted on June 21, 2024 by observationblogger — 4 Comments

This classic and memorable romantic theme from the film Franco Zefferelli’s Romeo and Juliet score was composed and conducted by the Italian composer Nino Rota. I don’t know how I came into possession of this music, but I imagine it was after downloading a mega-compilation of classical music. I’m sure grateful I am able to hear this exquisite piece in my collection. I don’t believe I have seen this movie version of the Shakespearean play, but at least the music reflects the tragic passion of the famous story. The movie has a very high audience score of 7.6 on IMDB.

Nino Roto (image left) has a remarkable film score acumen. Apart from his two Shakespeare screen adaptions, he is known for the music for films of Federico Fellini and for the first two installments of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather trilogy, earning the Academy Award for Best Original Score for The Godfather Part II (1974). He wrote more than 150 scores for Italian and international productions from the 1930s until his death in 1979 — an average of three scores each year over a 46-year period.

Alongside this great body of film work, he composed ten operas, five ballets and dozens of other orchestral, choral and chamber works, the best known being his string concerto. Rota was born Giovanni Rota Rinaldi on 3 December 1911, into a musical family in Milan, Italy. Rota was a renowned child prodigy — his first oratorio, L’infanzia di San Giovanni Battista, was written at age 11 and performed in Milan and Paris as early as 1923; his three-act lyrical comedy after Hans Christian Andersen, Il Principe Porcaro, was composed when he was just 13 and published in 1926.

References:
1. Romeo and Juliet (1968 film soundtrack) – Wikipedia

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Music

Romance in Durango (Live November 1975) – Bob Dylan

Posted on June 20, 2024 by observationblogger — 3 Comments

This is a fantastic Dylan performance of the ‘Mexican feel’ Romance in Durango; the seventh song (or the second song on Side 2 of the vinyl) on Bob Dylan’s 1976 album Desire. It has everything, a song with a cinematic story (similar to a cowboy movie scenario) and Dylan is fully locked into this performance with his facial expressions and his singing style and phrasing changing on different words/verses. Also, is there a more evocative opening of any Dylan song than this?

Hot chili peppers in the blistering sun
Dust on my face and my cape.

The first-person narrator tells of an adventure in Durango, Mexico, where Sam Peckinpah’s Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, which Dylan both scored and acted in, had been filmed in 1972 and 1973.

Wikipedia states:
It was written by Dylan and Jacques Levy, who collaborated with Dylan on most of the songs on the album. The chorus contains several lines sung in Spanish, resulting in the song being released as a single in Spain in 1977….The song is performed in the key of D major and its arrangement has, according to Dylan scholar Tony Attwood, “a Mexican feel” imparted through the instrumentation (“the trumpet calls”) and percussion (“the rhythms associated with Central American music”)…The studio version features twenty musicians and backup singers, including Eric Clapton on guitar, the only recording from the earliest sessions of Desire that ended up on the album (before Dylan decided to shift to a more “small-band approach”

[Verse 1]
Hot chili peppers in the blistering sun
Dust on my face and my cape
Me and Magdalena on the run
I think this time we shall escape

Sold my guitar to the baker’s son
For a few crumbs and a place to hide
But I can get another one
And I’ll play for Magdalena as we ride

[Chorus]
No Ilores, mi querida (Do not cry my darling)
Dios nos vigila (God is watching over us)
Soon the horse will take us to Durango
Agarrame, mi vida (hold me, my love, my life)
Soon the desert will be gone
Soon you will be dancing the fandango

[Verse 2]
Past the Aztec ruins and the ghosts of our people
Hoof beats like castanets on stone
At night I dream of bells in the village steeple
Then I see the bloody face of Ramon

Was it me that shot him down in the Cantina
Was it my hand that held the gun?
Come, let us fly, my Magdalena
The dogs are barking and what’s done is done

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
In the corrida we’ll sit in the shade
And watch the young torero stand alone
We’ll drink tequila where our grandfathers stayed
When they rode with Villa into Torreón

Then the padre will recite the prayers of old
In the little church this side of town
I will wear new boots and an earring of gold
You’ll shine with diamonds in your wedding gown

The way is long but the end is near
Already the fiesta has begun
The face of God will appear
With His serpent eyes of obsidian

[Chorus]

[Verse 4]
Was that the thunder that I heard?
My head is vibrating, I feel a sharp pain
Come sit by me, don’t say a word
Oh, can it be that I am slain?

[Chorus]

Further information from Wikipedia:
“Romance in Durango” placed 79th on a Rolling Stone list of the “100 Greatest Bob Dylan Songs”. In an article accompanying the list, Scott Avett of The Avett Brothers praised the song’s melody and lyrics: “The melody of ‘Romance in Durango’ makes the whole song work; it’s so serious and driven. And like most of Desire and Blood on the Tracks, it is relatively repetitive, but it’s so good it can kind of just keep going and going. That’s really much harder to do than I think anybody who isn’t trying to make music knows. As far as the lyrics go, it’s an amazing endeavor; Dylan was able to put his mind and heart into a specific scene – of being a lone renegade in the desert, up to all these trying and dangerous things. You’re buying all the masculinities and going right along with it. It’s convincing“

References:
1. Romance in Durango – Wikipedia
2. Romance in Durango; a brilliant end to a singular period in Dylan’s work – Untold Dylan

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Music

Crying (1961) – Roy Orbison

Posted on June 19, 2024 by observationblogger — 9 Comments

I listened to Roy Orbison’s music a lot in my youth. I believe I wore out the Essential Roy Orbison compilation record especially today’s featured track Crying. I imagine Crying is one of the most recognisable love ballads in contemporary music. Up to now all of the music that has featured Roy here was part of his time at The Traveling Wilburys. I’m afraid I let his other big hits Only the Lonely and Pretty Woman fall by the wayside, but I’ll make up for it and present them at a later date amongst others. Roy’s operatic vocal style and range has always been monumental and it is no better showcased than in this classic signature song, although Not Alone Anymore to my ears gives it stiff competition.

Crying is a song written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson for Orbison’s third studio album of the same name (1962). Released in 1961, it was a number 2 hit in the US for Orbison. I also like Llorando, the Spanish version of this song in the David Lynch masterpiece Mulholland Drive which I reviewed back in July 2021. In 2002, Crying was honoured with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. In 2010, Rolling Stone ranked it 69th on their list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

Crying emerged during a period when Orbison was already enjoying considerable success, but he sought to explore deeper, more poignant themes in his music. It was a departure from the more upbeat rockabilly style that characterized much of Orbison’s early work. Instead, it delved into the raw, unfiltered pain of heartache and loss.

[Verse 1]
I was alright for a while
I could smile for a while
But I saw you last night
You held my hand so tight
As you stopped to say, “Hello”

[Chorus]
Oh, you wished me well
You couldn’t tell
That I’d been crying over you
Crying over you
When you said, “So long”
Left me standing all alone
Alone and crying, crying
Crying, crying

[Post-Chorus]
It’s hard to understand
But the touch of your hand
Can start me crying

[Verse 2]
I thought that I was over you
But it’s true, so true
I love you even more
Than I did before
But, darling, what can I do? (read the remainder here)

References:
1. Crying (Roy Orbison song) – Wikipedia

Tagged with: ,
Posted in Music

Arcadia (2021) – Lana Del Rey

Posted on June 17, 2024 by observationblogger — 6 Comments

Arcadia is the second song posted here by Lana Del Rey after the first entry Radio. It amongst other songs were recommended to me by Madeleine at Classic Film and TV Corner:

Lana is one of my favourite singers. I think she is possibly the most unique artist working at the moment. I love how she mixes modern and vintage imagery in her music videos. What a talent.

Based on what I’ve heard so far by Lana (although I’m still just scratching the surface of her extensive discography) I can understand why Madeleine expressed such high praise for her artistry. Lana’s individuality and transparency in ‘presentation’, melodic and lyrical lucidness and originality (analogous to how I would describe Argentinian artist Nathy Peluso) is seemingly re-landscaping the modern music scene as we speak. Rolling Stone UK named Lana Del Rey – The Greatest American Songwriter of the 21st Century.

As some of you will know I normally forward an extract of the lyrics of songs in my articles, but such is my intrigue and admiration for the lyrics for Arcadia I have presented all of them below. She has crafted atmospheres that feel both intimate and expansive. Lana seems to be expressing herself as if she was a by-product of her place and the inherent materialism associated with our age, but will forge to develop upon her individual talents, expression and sexuality. In an interview with Rolling Stone, she mentioned that Arcadia was conceived during a period of introspection, when she was searching for a sense of peace amidst the chaos of the world.

When Lana sings, ‘America, America‘ I stop and pause and find myself windswept in feelings associated with Musica Americana which are hard to describe. Oh and don’t mention when she sings: ‘America, I need a miracle‘ which almost turns me into a blubbering mess. Other songs by hers will be presented here showcasing what I believe is her innate ability to capture Musica Americana: Wild at Heart and Yosemite.

Arcadia was released as the second and final single from her 2021 album Blue Banisters. The song was written and produced by the singer alongside Drew Erickson. The song is named after Arcadia, California. Although it could also be reference to the idyllic vision of pastoral harmony, derived from the ancient Greek region of Arcadia.
The song received critical acclaim from critics. In an article for the Los Angeles Times, Christi Carras described the song as a “languid new ballad” and music video as “love letters to Arcadia and Los Angeles“. The music video for Arcadia was directed by Del Rey, although the singer stated on Twitter that it was “directed by nobody“.
I love how they transform the song into another beast towards the end by being a Tarantino-esque ‘rap-marriachi‘ motif. To my sensory, it is most excellent.

[Verse 1]
My body is a map of LA
I stand straight like an angel with a halo
Hangin’ out the Hilton Hotel window
Screamin’, “Hey, you, baby, let’s go”
My chest, the Sierra Madre
My hips, every high and byway
That you trace with your fingertips like a Toyota
Run your hands over me like a Land Rover

[Chorus]
In Arcadia, Arcadia
All roads that lead to you as integral to me as arteries
That pump the blood that flows straight to the heart of me
America, America
I can’t sleep at home tonight, send me a Hilton Hotel
Or a cross on the hill, I’m a lost little girl
Findin’ my way to you, Arcadia

[Verse 2]
My body is a map of LA
And my heart is like paper, I hate you
I’m not from the land of the palms, so I know I can’t stay here
I’m not native, but
My curves, San Gabriel all day
And my lips like the fire licks the bay
If you think that you know yourself, you can come over
Lay your hands on me like you’re a Land Rover

[Chorus]

[Outro]
They built me up three-hundred feet tall just to tear me down
So I’m leavin’ with nothing but laughter and this town
Arcadia
Findin’ my way to you
I’m leavin’ them as I was, five-foot-eight, Western belt
Plus the hate that they gave
By the way, thanks for that, on the way, I’ll pray for you
But you’ll need a miracle, America

References:
1. Arcadia (Lana Del Rey song) – Wikipedia

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Music

Kiss the Bride (1983) – Elton John

Posted on June 17, 2024 by observationblogger — 10 Comments

I can’t believe I let this upbeat and brassy hit from Elton John’s classic 80’s record – Too Low For Zero pass under the radar. So we are backtracking today in the alphabetical listing to present Kiss the Bride. I loved the song growing up and I didn’t make it any secret at school what I thought about it. Allow me to digress…. One of my best friends at school Gary did a caricature of my family which resides in my reflection menu, and he just happened to be a huge Billy Joel fan. We used to have it out, because my musical tastes were oriented towards Elton John and his Billy. I remember when today’s featured track Kiss the Bride came out and he would chastise me singing the chorus, ‘I want to kiss the bridegroom‘! Like his caricature, it was a pretty smart retort.

I know Elton John deservedly gets a lot of plaudits for his 70’s output and I couldn’t be more in accordance, but as far as my musical apreciation goes I consider his 1983 Too Low For Zero record one of his greatest musical feats perhaps since Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Kiss the Bride emerged during a creatively fruitful period for Elton John and his longtime collaborator, lyricist Bernie Taupin. The early 1980s marked a return to form for John, who had been experimenting with different sounds and styles.

The title track is one of my top 5 favourite songs by Elton and I consider the opening track Cold as Christmas and Crystal presented here back here in 2021 examples of lesser-known gems from his extensive discography. Not to mention: I’m Still Standing and I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues which propel this album into the stratosphere of ‘classic contemporary albums’. The album also marked the reunion of John’s classic band lineup from the 1970s, including Davey Johnstone on guitar, Dee Murray on bass, and Nigel Olsson on drums. This reunion infused the album with a familiar energy that resonated with fans.

Kiss the Bride written by John and Bernie Taupin was released as the third single from the record and was a top 40 hit in many countries. It reached No. 20 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 25 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and No. 25 in Australia to name just a few countries. John played this song on setlists from 1984 until the 1989 leg of his Sleeping with the Past Tour. The video below characteristic of the 1980s MTV era, contributed to the song’s visibility and popularity.

[Verse 1]
Well, she looked a peach in the dress she made
When she was still her mama’s little girl
And when she walked down the aisle, everybody smiled
At her innocence and curls
And when the preacher said, “Is there anyone here
Got a reason why they shouldn’t wed?”

[Pre-Chorus]
I shoulda stuck up my hand
I shoulda got up to stand
And this is what I should have said

[Chorus]
I wanna kiss the bride, yeah!
I wanna kiss the bride, yeah!
Long before she met him, she was mine, mine, mine
Don’t say, “I do”, say, “bye, bye, bye”
And lemme kiss the bride, yeah!
I wanna kiss the bride, yeah!

[Verse 2]
Underneath her veil, I could see a tear
Tricklin’ down her pretty face
And when he slipped on the ring, I knew everything
Would never be the same again
But if the groom woulda known, he’d have had a fit
About his wife and the things we di

References:
1. Kiss the Bride (song) – Wikipedia

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Music

River (1971) – Joni Mitchell

Posted on June 16, 2024 by observationblogger — 6 Comments

I adored the raw emotion and introspection of River ever since I first heard it. I wrote a post about it in 2013, which was my first foray into blog writing. Penned and performed by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, this haunting ballad continues to move me. Originally released on her legendary record Blue it made me yearn for this place of solace. I have never skated on a river, but did skate on the ice rinks way back when. Come to think of it I haven’t seen one in decades, but that poignant imagery of skating on a river..that’s something.

Blue marked a pivotal moment in Mitchell’s career establishing her as not only a gifted musician but also a discerning lyricist capable of laying bare the complexities of human emotions. River was never released as a single but reveals one of Mitchell’s most vulnerable moments in songwriting, opening up about a breakup and the deep bond that’s difficult to shake. The lyrics of River are thought to have been inspired by the end of Mitchell’s relationship with musician Graham Nash; the two dated from 1968 through 1970.

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
But it don’t snow here
It stays pretty green
I’m gonna make a lot of money
Then I’m gonna quit this crazy scene
I wish I had a river I could skate away on

[Chorus]
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

[Verse 3]
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 (Read the remainder here)

River holds second place among Mitchell’s songs most recorded by other artists. Everyone from Mitchell’s former beau James Taylor to Barry Manilow, Sarah McLachlan, Judy Collins, Idina Menzel, Travis, Cee Lo Green, Ellie Goulding, and even Olivia Rodrigo and Harry Styles, have covered River. In 2021, it was ranked at No. 247 on Rolling Stone’s “Top 500 Best Songs of All Time”.

References:
1. River (Joni Mitchell song) – Wikipedia
2. The Meaning Behind the 1971 Holiday Classic “River” by Joni Mitchell – American Songwriter

Tagged with: , ,
Posted in Music

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 753 other subscribers

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨