In lieu of my normal Christmas activities (baking a cake for Jesus, crying a lot), this year I’ve decided to post my favorite Christmas songs—one a day, all the way until the 25th. While you might not get music as great as this, these songs sure beat all the lousy gifts you’ll have to pretend to like.

Far from a traditional Christmas standard, the soft and subtle holiday imagery of Joni Mitchell’s “River” is one of those songs that just seems to work anytime of the year. Plus it takes me back to that period of my life where I just sat around in my basement and listened to Blue all day. Boo-hoo.

If you have the time, please watch this amazing footage of Mitchell and a hippie who wants to “paint a fence invisible.” Does Miller Paint sell an Invisible color? I didn’t see it there…

MP3:
Joni Mitchell - River