RIVER

Joni Mitchell was one of the recipients of this year's Kennedy Center Honors, a well-deserved award that celebrates a lifetime of achievement in the performing arts. And with Christmas here, Mitchell's classic 1971 song, "River" is often played although it's wistful sentiment doesn't fit easily into a typical holiday standard. Set during Christmas, the song explores the recent end of a relationship, focusing on the mixed emotions of pain, regret and loneliness that is felt at this time. "River" has been covered by many artists over the years and now a beautiful new animated music video for Mitchell's version has just been released. This clip perfectly captures the mood and poignancy of this song with expressive, watercolor-like imagery.