If you want to buy this song or album: http://amzn.to/IYifdQ
James Taylor's adaption of Joni Mitchell's River. From the 2006 album "James Taylor at Christmas". "River" is a song from Mitchell's 1971 album Blue. Although never released as a single, it has become one of Mitchell's most famous songs. Rives has become rooted in the Christmas canon of modern singers with James' lonesome voice tailor-made for the tune.
I like this song for two reasons: although it's not about Christmas as such, nevertheless it gives you the "holiday- feeling" and above all it's about the miracle of skating: freedom.
In keeping with the Christmas theme of the lyrics, the arrangement of the song on Blue starts with a theme reminiscent of "Good King Wenceslas" and this theme figures several times throughout the accompaniment.
Although merely set near Christmas time rather than being about Christmas, the song ruminates on a recent breakup of a romantic relationship. Christmas is nearing, and Mitchell/Taylor longs to escape emotional bonds, openly wishing "I wish I had a river / I could skate away on", a river so long she "would teach my feet to fly." I think it's a
strong metaphore to combine skating and freedom. To skate on a dark frozen river must come close to how it feels for a bird to fly. It's a feeling of freedom and it brings you to places you never see otherwise. For this reason I chose to illustrate this song with pictures of skating in a Dutch landscape.
Pictures credit: www.shorpy.com
10 years ago
10 years ago
10 years ago
10 years ago
10 years ago
10 years ago
11 years ago
11 years ago
12 years ago
12 years ago
12 years ago
12 years ago
13 years ago
13 years ago
13 years ago
13 years ago
13 years ago
13 years ago
13 years ago
13 years ago