Album:  

Writer

Joni Mitchell

Length:

3:25

Notes:

This little gem from Joni is from her 1971 album Blue. Despite never being released as a single, it touched a chord (actually, I think it uses more than one) with other artists and has been recorded a ridiculous 432 times, second only to "Both Sides Now". Don't quote that number because it is probably already out of date. My skin is thick enough for you to call me biased but I am adamant that Katie's version is the best (I wonder if Adam Ant has covered it). I'll be honest—I haven't heard 429 of the other versions including, thankfully, the Barry Manilow effort.

YouTube:

There's a stunning version on YouTube, filmed live in Berlin, but this video has had far fewer views than it deserves and is just so impossibly beautiful that you'll probably melt into a pool of sticky stuff on the carpet, so watch with caution... River, with The Gori Women's Choir.

Lyrics:

River