Joni Mitchell - River
Hello! Below you'll find my "River" chords & lyrics chart as well as a tutorial video on how to play the piano accompaniment.
This song by Joni Mitchell is absolutely gorgeous and haunting and one of my favorite "Christmas" songs. The piano part as played on the record is a bit difficult, but I build it up step by step so you can feel free to stick with a more simplified version.
Enjoy!
River Piano Tutorial
Here's a piano tutorial video for River:
River Chords & Lyrics
[Intro]
| C | C | Am9 | Am9 | F9 | F9 | G| G |
| C | C | Am9 | Am9 | F9 | F9 | G| G |
[Verse 1]
Dm/C C
It's coming on Christmas
Dm/C C
They're cutting down trees
Dm/C C
They're putting up reindeer
Dm/C C
And singing songs of joy and peace
Am G
Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on
Dm/C C
It's coming on Christmas
Dm/C C
They're cutting down trees
Dm/C C
They're putting up reindeer
Dm/C C
And singing songs of joy and peace
Am G
Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on
[Verse 2]
Dm/C C
But it don't snow here
Dm/C C
It stays pretty green
Dm/C C
I'm going to make a lot of money
Dm/C C
Then I'm going to quit this crazy scene
Am G
Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on
Dm/C C
But it don't snow here
Dm/C C
It stays pretty green
Dm/C C
I'm going to make a lot of money
Dm/C C
Then I'm going to quit this crazy scene
Am G
Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on
[Chorus 1]
F G
I wish I had a river so long
C | F Em | Dm | Dm |
I would teach my feet to fly---- wooh . .
C G Fmaj7 | Fmaj7 |
I wish I had a river I could skate away on
Fmaj7 Dm/C
I made my baby cry
F G
I wish I had a river so long
C | F Em | Dm | Dm |
I would teach my feet to fly---- wooh . .
C G Fmaj7 | Fmaj7 |
I wish I had a river I could skate away on
Fmaj7 Dm/C
I made my baby cry
[Interlude]
| C | Am9 | Am9 | G | G |
[Verse 3]
Dm/C C
He tried hard to help me
Dm/C C
You know, he put me at ease
Dm/C C
And he loved me so naughty
F C
Made me weak in the knees
Am G
Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on
Dm/C C
He tried hard to help me
Dm/C C
You know, he put me at ease
Dm/C C
And he loved me so naughty
F C
Made me weak in the knees
Am G
Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on
[Verse 4]
Dm/C C
I'm so hard to handle
Dm/C C
I'm selfish and I'm sad
Dm/C C
Now I've gone and lost the best baby
Dm/C C
That I ever had
Am G
Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on
Dm/C C
I'm so hard to handle
Dm/C C
I'm selfish and I'm sad
Dm/C C
Now I've gone and lost the best baby
Dm/C C
That I ever had
Am G
Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on
[Chorus 2]
F G
I wish I had a river so long
C | F Em | Dm | Dm | Dm | Dm |
I would teach my feet to fly---- wooh . .
C G Fmaj7 | Fmaj7 |
I wish I had a river I could skate away on
Fmaj7 Dm/C
I made my baby say goodbye
F G
I wish I had a river so long
C | F Em | Dm | Dm | Dm | Dm |
I would teach my feet to fly---- wooh . .
C G Fmaj7 | Fmaj7 |
I wish I had a river I could skate away on
Fmaj7 Dm/C
I made my baby say goodbye
[Interlude]
| C | Am9 | Am9 | G | G |
| C | Am9 | Am9 | G | G |
[Verse 5]
Dm/C C
It's coming on Christmas
Dm/C C
They're cutting down trees
Dm/C C
They're putting up reindeer
Dm/C C
And singing songs of joy and peace
Am G9 | G9 | G9 | G9 |
Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on
[Outro]
| G9 | G9 | G9 | G9 | F | F | F | F | Dm | Dm | Dm | Dm |
| Dm...
| G9 | G9 | G9 | G9 | F | F | F | F | Dm | Dm | Dm | Dm |
| Dm...
This document is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It's intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.
This chord chart is here only to support online learning. We recommend buying official transcripts from a licensed and reputable publisher.
River Piano Tips
1. Take It Slow: It's counterintuitive, but the quickest way to get comfortable and sound great playing a song is to practice it very slowly at first. Steady rhythm and counting are crucial to sounding like a pro, so let yourself get used to feeling the beat at a slow, easy tempo. Once you can nail "River" slowly, *gradually* speed it up. You'll sound much better than if you jumped in at full speed!
2. Use The Pedal Wisely: Utilize the sustain pedal to connect the chords smoothly, timing your lifts with the arrival of a new chord. For help with sustain pedal timing, check out this video.
3. Simplify if need be: "River" still sounds great even if you simply hold out the chords and ignore most of the rhythm patterns and extra details in the tutorial video. Feel free to keep it simple, especially if you sing while playing. As you get comfortable, you can always add the fancy stuff later.
