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River Lyrics
It’s coming on Christmas
They’re cutting down trees
They’re putting up reindeer 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
And then I’m going to quit this crazy scene
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
Teach my feet to fly high
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I made my baby cry
I tried hard to help me
No it wouldn’t be at ease
But it left me so naughty made me weak in the knees
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
But I’m so hard to handle
I’m selfish and I’m sad
Now I gone and lost the best baby that I’ve ever had
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
Oh I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly highhh
Oh I wish I had a river
That 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
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
They’re cutting down trees
They’re putting up reindeer singing songs of joy and peace
I could skate away on
It stays pretty green
I’m going to make a lot of money
And then I’m going to quit this crazy scene
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
Teach my feet to fly high
I could skate away on
I tried hard to help me
No it wouldn’t be at ease
I could skate away on
I’m selfish and I’m sad
Now I gone and lost the best baby that I’ve ever had
I could skate away on
I would teach my feet to fly highhh
Oh I wish I had a river
That I could skate away on
It’s coming on Christmas
They’re cutting down trees
They’re putting up reindeer singing songs of joy and peace
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
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Very pretty song.. heard it first on ER. ;)
Anyway. I think it's about losing a loved one, not in death, but like.. breaking up/breaking the heart of a signifigant other around Christmas and being sad while everyone else is just ridiculously happy simply because of the season.. and wanting to get away from that because you want to just be sad. If that made any sense. :)
@beanx I wonder if the reference to Christmas is because around that time family and loved ones get together (so notices them missing more). Or is it about returning to happier times (which is usually related with Christmas)??
@beanx I wonder if the reference to Christmas is because around that time family and loved ones get together (so notices them missing more). Or is it about returning to happier times (which is usually related with Christmas)??
I really like this song. It reminds me of Jewel's 'Spirit' album [her best, in my opinion], so it's extra-good :D
I really like this song. It's about trying to create a fantasy world, a river, to drift and float away on from the pressures of life. I agree that it could possibly be the loss of someone (with the talk of the baby) and being sad at Christmas which is suposed to be a time of happiness.
It seems like the speaker sees everyone else around her, laughing and setting up the world for Christmas, when she is alone. She realizes her faults and she tells herself that she'll get away from this place, because she doesn't really belong there anymore. In the lines "But it don't snow here...." she's really bitter, especially when she says she'll make a lot of money and get away, but then in the chorus it's like she's saying "You know, I didn't really mean it that way. I just want to escape somewhere, to disappear."
It seems like the speaker sees everyone else around her, laughing and setting up the world for Christmas, when she is alone. She realizes her faults and she tells herself that she'll get away from this place, because she doesn't really belong there anymore. In the lines "But it don't snow here...." she's really bitter, especially when she says she'll make a lot of money and get away, but then in the chorus it's like she's saying "You know, I didn't really mean it that way. I just want to escape somewhere, to disappear."
@cay15 I'd say the reference to "baby" is used in the context of a loved one / partner (not literally a baby). Appears she has lost her partner
@cay15 I'd say the reference to "baby" is used in the context of a loved one / partner (not literally a baby). Appears she has lost her partner
Skating on a (frozen)river or a bay is fun. :)
These are not my thoughts, but i think the same as Michael Ball, a British stage actor and singer:
"It's coming on Christmas, they're cutting down trees/They're putting up reindeer, singing songs of joy and peace." Ultimately, it's a bereft song about a woman whose romance has gone bad and who wants to escape. The drama just happens to be set around the holidays."
What I feel from this song is that Joni has moved to California to be able to expand her talents and she misses home, even more so during Christmas time. She misses the peace, the tranquility of the Canadian country side.