If it's any consolation, GH, I'm with you on River Of Dreams, even though I'm not voting. I WANT to love it. I really do. I love the instrumental opening, and the sentiment, and the video is adorable,
but... I just can't get past the phrasing. He crams so many syllables into each line that I just can't sing it. I think I'm unusually picky because I lived for 6 years with a songwriter who was fanatical about his phrasing. It bugs me because the song has so much potential except for that one key element.
Please don't hate me, anyone! I know the song is a crowd pleaser around here. This is just my own particular quirk.