[2] In the song, the actual location of Yellow River is not specified, although the author, Jeff Christie, is on record as saying that it was inspired by the idea of a soldier going home at the end of the American Civil War.

[3] As the song was released during the Vietnam War, it has been interpreted as being about a soldier leaving the U.S. Military at the end of his period of conscription.

"Yellow River" has spawned a host of covers by artists as diverse as R.E.M., Leapy Lee, Elton John, The Compton Brothers, Middle of the Road, Chris Rea, Bernd Spier, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, Mayada, and Joe Dassin (his rendition, named "L'Amérique" reached No.

[13] In Australia, Christie's version of "Yellow River" gained only limited airplay due to the 1970 radio ban.

[14] In the USSR, the band Singing Guitars (Поющие гитары) used the melody of "Yellow River" paired with the words to a Russian children's song called "Fat Karlsson" ("Толстый Карлсон").