River Joni Mitchell
View chords used in this chart
Capo 3
Am G
It's coming on Christmas
Am G
They're cutting down trees
Am G
They're putting up reindeer
Am G
And singing songs of joy and peace
Em D
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
Am G
But it don't snow here
Am G
It stays pretty green
Am G
I'm going to make a lot of money
Am G
Then I'm going to quit this crazy scene
Em D
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
C D
I wish I had a river so long
G C D Am
I would teach my feet to fly
G D Em
I wish I had a river I could skate away on
C D G
I made my baby cry
Am G
He tried hard to help me
Am G
You know, he put me at ease
Am G
And he loved me so naughty
Am G
Made me weak in the knees
Em D
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
Am G
I'm so hard to handle
Am G
I'm selfish and I'm sad
Am G
Now I've lost the best baby
Am G
That I ever had
Em D
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
C D
I wish I had a river so long
G C D Am
I would teach my feet to fly
G D Em
I wish I had a river I could skate away on
C D G
I made my baby say goodbye
Instrumental solo
Am G
It's coming on Christmas
Am G
They're cutting down trees
Am G
They're putting up reindeer
Am G
And singing songs of joy and peace
Em D
Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on
(End on G if you want)
How to play River Joni Mitchell
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is Am. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.