I was born in 1970 and this was....a very big song...in my childhood. . I remember hearing it all the time and always would try to sing with it and just enjoyed the melody. He died way too soon. Would've loved to see him live.
John was an extremely talented musician and songwriter and I still remember the tragic day when his plane crashed many years ago and it was hard not to shed some tears after hearing that. RIP John.
This song was inspired when John Denver went up to watch a meteor shower with his wife and some friends in the mountains. That's where the line "I've seen it rain fire in the sky" comes from. "He was born in the summer of his 27th year", he moved to Aspen when he was 27. And some radio stations did ban it because of the word high in the title and lyrics, but high refered to the feeling of joy he got from being in that environment.
Shortly after arriving in Colorado, a friend of his was killed in a motorcycle crash - it's where the line "He lost a friend but kept a memory" came from.
There is a cute video of John with the Muppets doing this song... My sister and I cracked up when we first heard this song..it reminded us of OUR grandmother's big ole feather bed and all the fun we had when we were growing up. Sweet times...
The purity of his voice always touched me. His music was his passion, but not his only one…I don’t know if he had lost himself so much as he found himself in the Rockies. He championed them for all his life. Wonderful man, I miss him. I think his “high” was exactly what he said, “Rocky Mountain high”. Love your reaction Thank you for your sensitivity ❤️🔥
I agree Katherine. I saw him in concert twice, amazing. As I think so many did, I felt an inexplicable soul connection. I felt such anguish when he died I couldn't listen to his music for a year. What a blessing we have his recordings and videos to watch at will now.
Hey Sandra…do remember the movie “Oh God”? he made with George Burns? I loved the bits of his personality we could glimpse occasionally, and Burns was just remarkable and sweet and so funny. 💖
You got it Harri. He had a spiritual awakening when he was 27. He found his purpose, his place, his home. The song brings me to tears every time I listen to it. The campfire reference was his friends were elevated also.
Just so terribly sad and far too young in his years when he passed in that terrible crash in Monterrey. Harri, Please listen to the duet John did with Placido Domingo ..the Spanish tenor called Perhaps Love .. It is just so heart wrenchingly beautiful, it is about how people perceive what love is .. Some say love is holding on , and say letting go, some say love is everything, and some say they don't know. .. It is sublime .
I can fully relate to this song of his, I moved to the foothills of the Rocky mountain in Denver Colorado when I was 28 years old and it filled me with wide wonder and amazement to this day, and I'm 55 years old now....
@@JUSTMAR1E I still saw most of your comment but it cut of as you were asking "Do the trees" and I couldn't see the rest, it's ok to ask questions and no question is stupid, so if you still want to ask go right ahead and I'll answer if I know... peace..
@@JUSTMAR1E Marie, I agree with Tim. There are no stupid questions when it comes to reaction videos. Trust me, If we don’t have the answer, somebody else will.
@@JUSTMAR1E well I've never been to the Smokies but I have lived in the ozarks so i kinda know what it must be like, and no, in my opinion it's not a pretty as the autumn colors of the smokies because its mostly a lot of pines, but it does have its places where the aspens are that are quit beautiful...
Rocky Mountain High became one of the two official state songs for the state of Colorado in 2007. Visitors to Rio Grande Park in Aspen, Colorado can also find a commemorative stone for Denver with the "Rocky Mountain High" lyrics on it. "Rocky Mountain High" was primarily inspired by John Denver's move to Aspen, Colorado, three years before its writing and by his love for the state. The seventh stanza makes reference to the destruction of the mountains' beauty by commercial tourism. Denver publicly explained (and before Congress) that the "high" was his innocent description of the sense of peace he found in the Rockies. I sure miss John. xx
John Denver was a pilot and much of this song describes what he could see while he was flying. He weaves words together and makes a beautiful tapestry. He absolutely loved flying and unfortunately his hobby took his life. Such a beautiful voice. Great choice Harri🌺✌️
Flying a newly delivered plane for the first time, John failed to check the fuel level or familiarize himself with the plane before taking off to try it out. When he realized he was out of fuel and had to switch the other fuel line over, he could not easily find the other line nor easily access it in the new plane.
@@DAISYROSE22 He'd actually had two test pilots fly it for him before he did. They both told him that the fuel switch, to change from one tank to the other, was hard to turn and behind the pilot seat. They both accidentally kicked the rudder pedals while yanking the switch, which caused the plane to stall. Fortunately for them, they were high enough to be able to pull out. John was at 500 feet and didn't have time. He normally topped the fuel tanks off before flying whatever plane he was in. For some reason, this time he didn't, and ran the one he was using dry.
There is one line that says it all..... "I know he'd be a poorer man if he never saw an eagle fly" Too many people fail to see and protect the beauty of nature. My father had a saying.... 'Those who do not like and protect animals do not like people either.
Omg I could listen to his voice all day everyday. Such a wonderful man and performer. RIP John 💗🕊️. Sunshine on my shoulders, Country Roads, Calypso and Annie's song just to name a few..also for more upbeat Thank God I'm a Country Boy 😁
"It's a song that you can listen to and it just takes you places." So true. I remember when ir came out, in 1972. I was 17 and, like many people at that age, trying to find my way thru adolescence, a time of change, of lost friends, new friends, first girlfriend and discovering a world beyond my hometown. John Denver's beautiful tribute to discovery and rebirth was a kind guidepost for me then that I couldn't listen to it enough. Still love it. And still love going the Rockies every year. Nice rxn, Harri. And you're right, it does have a Sixties vibe to it.
No one else like John Denver. I love classic rock, Motown, but when you need to feel your troubles melt away just say “play John Denver” and close your eyes.
Everything he wrote was from the heart and he is sorely missed. He revered the beauty and wonder of nature and the simple things in life. Nobody covers John Denver like John Denver, with the exception of Home Free's cover of Take Me Home, Country Roads, which is phenomenal.
This was the second album I ever bought, when I was 13. As a Denver Colorado native this song always meant a lot to me. I don't listen to John much these days, but every time I hear this song it still brings tears to my eyes. Flooded with memories. John was also the first "Major" concert I ever went to. Saw him at Red Rocks in 1974.
John Denver was an actor also. Highly recommend you watch the movie ‘Oh God’ it was done in the late 70’s but great show George Burns played in it as well. Highly Recommended !!!
Wonderful Reaction. John Denver has always been one of my all time favorite artist . Rocky Mountain High probably is my 2nd favorite of his - #1 has always been Country Roads Take Me Home.
The best high can be had in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado! Whether it's a natural high or one from smoking great reefer, I've smoked a mile up in Colorado and it was the best buzz of my life! Probably from the thinner air anyway!
Love John Denver! Saw him in '86 at Willie Nelson's first Farm Aid concert. The arena in Champaign-Urbana was full of all ages - families, lots of young 20 & 30s & middle aged folks. When John Denver started singing, everyone turned around toward the stage and listened. Groups of people held hands and the crowd on the field ( vs the bleachers) started swaying to his beautiful voice. I was 26, on the field and it was a beautiful thing to watch & listen to. His effect on people was...calming. I agree with your reaction - a beautiful, spiritual soul. I dont think the campfire line was sung to all audiences.😄 It was not in the lyrics I just looked up!❤
I just learned how to play this song on my guitar! John's guitar part is multiple hammers and pick offs while strumming! But there is a 2nd guitar in the background too! I really think you'd love "Poems, Prayers, and Promises"!! Either the "The Wildlife Concert" version or the "An Evening with John Denver" version! Give "Sunshine on my Shoulders" a try if you haven't yet and "Follow Me" as well!!
As a fellow Air Force Brat, I can totally relate to coming home to a place I'd never been before. For some, the time is just full of excitement, but for some, it's a pretty lonely place always leaving every couple of/few years. I found it hard connecting to people and places, too. If you ask me where I'm from, I'll say "Fort McPherson Army Post,Georgia". If you ask me where my home is, I'll say "music". It was the one thing I always had with me that gave me a small feeling of "home" wherever I lived.
I grew up listening to John Denver. I can relate to this song. I live in the Rocky Mountains in Idaho. Our Mountains run through Colorado. "I've seen it rain and fire in the sky". The lightning lightning the peaks if the mountain are quite a show. Awesome review. Take care.
I fully agree ! I never lived there, but in 86’ I had fun hitchhiking all over the state. I once met a guy who told me to always go on the backroads. His advice was valuable in Colorado, with all it’s beautiful backroads - especially Durango>Silverton>Ouray. And I can’t forget to mention that the people were as friendly as anywhere I’ve been - never had any long waits for rides like some other regions. I guess looking a lot like John Denver helped !
So many people migrated to Colorado in the late 70’s and early 80’s as a way to start over in a place that was beautiful and back then was still a very Western blue collar place that values privacy, simplicity, and the majesty of nature.
John loved nature! He turned a lot of people onto camping & the environmental movement. Huge environmentalists!! Early 70's & so it was still basically the 60's. The Beatles came over in 64 & the feels if the 60's went to 74. 75/76 is when disco became popular & was different. Really 75 to early 80's was the 70's.
He was born in the summer of his 27th year...... A lyric that cuts me deep every time. But, if you lead your life in a fashion that does not bring you joy or peace or completion yet you find that sense immediately when you enter the right environment, the Rocky Mountains, for example, then it is easy to feel born again or finally at home. I believe that feeling is what inspired Henry John Deutchendorf Junior in his sentiment here. A wonderful song.
An awesome reaction. I'm a resident of Colorado (for the third time, the first in the early 1960's, the second in the mid-to-late 1970's, and now since 2019). John Denver was named Poet Laureate of the State of Colorado in 1974 (I was a resident at the time). Additionally, Colorado was the first state in the US to legalize recreational use of marijuana in 2014--I'm pretty sure these facts are related. I'm a 30-year veteran of the US Air Force, and a little known fact is John Denver's father was a distinguished US Air Force pilot who achieved a number of speed record in the B-58 Hustler. Mr. John Denver, peace be upon him, was a great man and has a very special place in my heart for many reasons.
John Denver spent years trying to break in to some success in the music industry, playing state fairs, carnivals, and honkytonks trying hard to make it as a solo act after leaving the comfort of folk groups. There was always the temptation to go back or pursue other opportunities, but he found solace & rejuvenation return when he returned to the natural beauty of the mountains. Yes Harri, your interpretation of the campfire high is spot on. This hit was released in autumn of ‘72, he was a folk singer in the 60s.
I was on a lake in a tiny boat in Washington state. A bald eagle, the American eagle, came flying from the trees and scooped up a fish not ten feet from the front of the boat. I’d be a poorer woman for not having seen that, majestic doesn’t even begin to capture it.
John Denver was, like everyone, touched by the fragilities of life, going through a couple of divorces over his lifetime. But on the whole, he was one of the most stable entertainers on the circuit. His songbook is deep, wonderful, and will long outlive his tragic end.
I always thought the part about "on the road and hangin' by a song" meant that he had enough of concert after concert and always being pressured to write another hit and he needed to get away. And, yes... a congressman tried to put the "stoned" connotation to that lyric. Denver quickly disabused the idiot by responding that "high" means feeling good with your friends. And "seeing fire in the sky" was a meteor shower. I'm glad you've come to like John Denver. He was one of my favorite singers Back Then.
John made it sound so easy, but what a voice! His songs were so catchy but try singing along to something like Calypso and you realize what pipes and control he had.
John has a very rich and varied rabbit hole. If you like this one, check out "He'd Rather Be In Colorado", " "Back Home Again", "I'm Sorry" (one of his Number Ones) "Rhymes and Reasons" and bunch of others that are too numerous to mention. His songs are mostly autobiographical, about his life in the mountains with Annie. It might seem a bit schmaltzy now, or old-fashioned, but he was immensely popular in his time and his songs have stood the test of time. He's been gone over 25 years now and we still listen to his music.
All of John Denver's songs are great. He was a great singer and songwriter. John Denver was as good live as the studio versions. At one time he was as popular, if not more so, than Frank Sinatra. He was an environmentalist before anyone knew what one was.
Have you visited Colorado? I have been fortunate and blessed to live in Colorado for 7 years. The best part is hiking through mountain meadows full of wildflowers,raspberry and strawberry plants. I would suggest reading the many works of John Muir;he was a wildlife biologist,author and helped establish the National Parks. His writing about the natural world is beautiful.
Howdy from the Centennial State (Colorado)! Yes, this is one of our state songs, along with the old western/folk song "Where The Columbines Grow." Also, "America The Beautiful" was written after its author took a trip to the top of Pike's Peak, near Colorado Springs. You should come and see our beautiful state sometime!
Yes, very special man. Totally unique and gone much too soon. His success and life on the road broke his precious marriage. He loved her until he died. Brought her flowers every year on her birthday even after the divorce. She never remarried.
Growing up, having been able to live at the footsteps of the Colorado Rocky Mountains this song has always had a special place in my heart. John Denver has such a beautiful voice and he can even turn the darkest of songs into a beautiful song. Check out "Darcy Farrow".
Country Roads Take Me Home. Rest in Peace John.
We'll never have another... I miss him as much today as the moment we lost him...
Such a gorgeous song🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Gone way to soon, RIP John.
I was born in 1970 and this was....a very big song...in my childhood. . I remember hearing it all the time and always would try to sing with it and just enjoyed the melody. He died way too soon. Would've loved to see him live.
John was an extremely talented musician and songwriter and I still remember the tragic day when his plane crashed many years ago and it was hard not to shed some tears after hearing that. RIP John.
He really was a poet.
I don't know if he was ever lost. He was too pure for this world. So pure he left before we were ready.
You know he'd be a poorer man if he never saw an eagle fly - that line just gets me every time.
Same
@@dianegoldeneye7207 ditto
This song to me has always brought a smile to my face, uplifting, but also instills a longing, for a simpler, more honest, and kinder times.
1972. Remember it well. "Im Sorry" is another good John Denver song to react to.
This song was inspired when John Denver went up to watch a meteor shower with his wife and some friends in the mountains. That's where the line "I've seen it rain fire in the sky" comes from. "He was born in the summer of his 27th year", he moved to Aspen when he was 27. And some radio stations did ban it because of the word high in the title and lyrics, but high refered to the feeling of joy he got from being in that environment.
I believe it was a double entendre.
I believe it was a double entendre.
Shortly after arriving in Colorado, a friend of his was killed in a motorcycle crash - it's where the line "He lost a friend but kept a memory" came from.
You are 26 during your 27th year.
I always thought it was a reference to the light headedness one gets from the high altitude air.
John Denver was a true poet 💖 RIP
Another good listen is Calypso, his tribute to Jaques Cousteau. A cute, happy song is Grandma's Feather Bed
Gosh, Penny....I forgot about Grandma's Feather Bed. I loved it. Thanks for the mental jog....I gonna look for it. Peace.
There is a cute video of John with the Muppets doing this song...
My sister and I cracked up when we first heard this song..it reminded us of OUR grandmother's big ole feather bed and all the fun we had when we were growing up. Sweet times...
"Thank God I'm a Country Boy" is fun too.
Grandma's feather bed is one of my favorite feel good songs! 💞
I love Grandma's Feather Bed!
The purity of his voice always touched me. His music was his passion, but not
his only one…I don’t know if he had lost himself so much as he found himself
in the Rockies. He championed them for all his life. Wonderful man, I miss him.
I think his “high” was exactly what he said, “Rocky Mountain high”. Love your reaction
Thank you for your sensitivity ❤️🔥
I agree Katherine. I saw him in concert twice, amazing. As I think so many did, I felt an inexplicable soul connection. I felt such anguish when he died I couldn't listen to his music for a year. What a blessing we have his recordings and videos to watch at will now.
Hey Sandra…do remember the movie “Oh God”? he made with George Burns? I loved
the bits of his personality we could glimpse occasionally, and Burns was just
remarkable and sweet and so funny. 💖
@@katherinebosse5706 yes, I enjoyed that film also.
One of the all time legendary tunes from one of the greatest singer songwriters of the 20th century!
John Denver and Jim Croce.
Beautiful voices to listen to all day. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
You got it Harri. He had a spiritual awakening when he was 27. He found his purpose, his place, his home. The song brings me to tears every time I listen to it. The campfire reference was his friends were elevated also.
Rhymes and Reasons is a wonderful song as well
These lyrics are poetry.
Just so terribly sad and far too young in his years when he passed in that terrible crash in Monterrey. Harri, Please listen to the duet John did with Placido Domingo ..the Spanish tenor called Perhaps Love .. It is just so heart wrenchingly beautiful, it is about how people perceive what love is .. Some say love is holding on , and say letting go, some say love is everything, and some say they don't know. .. It is sublime .
Good call!
I love that duet! It was Annie's favorite song, even more than "Annie's Song".
That song makes me cry EVERY SINGLE TIME ❤️
I can fully relate to this song of his, I moved to the foothills of the Rocky mountain in Denver Colorado when I was 28 years old and it filled me with wide wonder and amazement to this day, and I'm 55 years old now....
Had a question but it was so stupid I deleted it lol. I envy you. All I’ve seen are the great Smokey mountains
@@JUSTMAR1E I still saw most of your comment but it cut of as you were asking "Do the trees" and I couldn't see the rest, it's ok to ask questions and no question is stupid, so if you still want to ask go right ahead and I'll answer if I know... peace..
@@JUSTMAR1E
Marie, I agree with Tim. There are no stupid questions when it comes to reaction videos.
Trust me, If we don’t have the answer, somebody else will.
@@timlenard1646 I was just wandering if the trees are as pretty there in the mountains as they are in the smokies in the fall?
@@JUSTMAR1E well I've never been to the Smokies but I have lived in the ozarks so i kinda know what it must be like, and no, in my opinion it's not a pretty as the autumn colors of the smokies because its mostly a lot of pines, but it does have its places where the aspens are that are quit beautiful...
Rocky Mountain High became one of the two official state songs for the state of Colorado in 2007. Visitors to Rio Grande Park in Aspen, Colorado can also find a commemorative stone for Denver with the "Rocky Mountain High" lyrics on it. "Rocky Mountain High" was primarily inspired by John Denver's move to Aspen, Colorado, three years before its writing and by his love for the state. The seventh stanza makes reference to the destruction of the mountains' beauty by commercial tourism. Denver publicly explained (and before Congress) that the "high" was his innocent description of the sense of peace he found in the Rockies. I sure miss John. xx
That 7th stanza is also about the Winter Olympics planned for the Rockies. "Tear the mountains down to put in a couple more".
R.I.P. John, Thank you so much for all you gave.
Folk music is straight from the heart true story telling
I love how he can sing so clear and crisp words.
Heard this song when I was 10 yrs. old. Fell in love with the music and the man. 49 years later still love John Denver!!!!
John Denver was a pilot and much of this song describes what he could see while he was flying. He weaves words together and makes a beautiful tapestry. He absolutely loved flying and unfortunately his hobby took his life. Such a beautiful voice. Great choice Harri🌺✌️
Flying a newly delivered plane for the first time, John failed to check the fuel level or familiarize himself with the plane before taking off to try it out. When he realized he was out of fuel and had to switch the other fuel line over, he could not easily find the other line nor easily access it in the new plane.
@@DAISYROSE22 He'd actually had two test pilots fly it for him before he did. They both told him that the fuel switch, to change from one tank to the other, was hard to turn and behind the pilot seat. They both accidentally kicked the rudder pedals while yanking the switch, which caused the plane to stall. Fortunately for them, they were high enough to be able to pull out. John was at 500 feet and didn't have time. He normally topped the fuel tanks off before flying whatever plane he was in. For some reason, this time he didn't, and ran the one he was using dry.
Wonderful. One of my favorite songs from him and in general.
One of John's favorite phrases for happiness and joy was "far out!"
The Rocky mountains are very humbling.
a voice as sweet and smooth as honey, a vibrato that warms the heart
A Song from John Denver Can Change Your Entire Life!
So soothing
There is one line that says it all..... "I know he'd be a poorer man if he never saw an eagle fly"
Too many people fail to see and protect the beauty of nature.
My father had a saying.... 'Those who do not like and protect animals do not like people either.
All John Denver's songs were very personal to his life. He was from a generation of great singer-songwriters in the 1960's and 1970's.
He also wrote Leaving on a jet plane, that gave Peter, Paul and Mary a number one hit. His version is beasutiful
what a great singer.i have been to the Rocky Mountains..what a experience..will never hear that song the same
"......I know he'd be a poor man if he never saw an 🦅 Eagle fly .....". My favorite line !🙏❤️🙏😎🙏
He sings of simplicity and the truth of all around us. One of his great songs is Grandma's Feather Bed
Late 60s early 70s were about love and nature. This is about discovery ... Of ones self.
Omg I could listen to his voice all day everyday. Such a wonderful man and performer. RIP John 💗🕊️. Sunshine on my shoulders, Country Roads, Calypso and Annie's song just to name a few..also for more upbeat Thank God I'm a Country Boy 😁
Thank God I'm a county boy is a song you'll be singing all day long. Impossible to hear without smiling
I think reality was his weakness because his songs are about the good things in life. For him the mountains were the purity of life.
Still brings chills after all this time!
"It's a song that you can listen to and it just takes you places."
So true. I remember when ir came out, in 1972. I was 17 and, like many people at that age, trying to find my way thru adolescence, a time of change, of lost friends, new friends, first girlfriend and discovering a world beyond my hometown.
John Denver's beautiful tribute to discovery and rebirth was a kind guidepost for me then that I couldn't listen to it enough. Still love it. And still love going the Rockies every year.
Nice rxn, Harri. And you're right, it does have a Sixties vibe to it.
No one else like John Denver. I love classic rock, Motown, but when you need to feel your troubles melt away just say “play John Denver” and close your eyes.
Always loved the spiritual growth of this song. Please react to Dan Fogelberg "Netherlands"
Yall are gonna love this...rip ...gorgeous voice and playing the guitar
Everything he wrote was from the heart and he is sorely missed. He revered the beauty and wonder of nature and the simple things in life. Nobody covers John Denver like John Denver, with the exception of Home Free's cover of Take Me Home, Country Roads, which is phenomenal.
This was the second album I ever bought, when I was 13. As a Denver Colorado native this song always meant a lot to me. I don't listen to John much these days, but every time I hear this song it still brings tears to my eyes. Flooded with memories. John was also the first "Major" concert I ever went to. Saw him at Red Rocks in 1974.
I have been to the Rockey Mountain High and yes, It does rain fire in the sky....pure spiritual experience
My favorite John Denver song is I'd Rather Be A Cowboy. Perhaps not his most popular, but I love the sound of it.
It is about all of us struggling with everyday life in our paths and how he found new meaning , direction and peace.
John Denver was an actor also. Highly recommend you watch the movie ‘Oh God’ it was done in the late 70’s but great show George Burns played in it as well. Highly Recommended !!!
ICON OF AMERICANA MUSIC! 🤠😎👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Still my favorite artist! So many songs to continue your journey: Eagle and the Hawk, Calypso, Country Boy...
Wonderful Reaction. John Denver has always been one of my all time favorite artist . Rocky Mountain High probably is my 2nd favorite of his - #1 has always been Country Roads Take Me Home.
His song " Calypso " an homage to Jacques Coisteau ....is a terrific listen ...
Yes…that opening lyric is out of this world…very spiritual
Just like "Take Me Home, Country Roads" is one of West Virginia's anthems. I doubt though that Toledo adopted "Toledo Ohio" as an anthem :)
My anthem too in Georgia 💗
"Saturday night in Toledo, Ohio is like being nowhere at all".
I grew up with his music. He was a wonderful person.
I love the mountains and the river I feel so close to God I climb as high as I can to talk to God it’s so peaceful..
Calypso is another beautiful song!!
He was an outstanding talent we lost too soon.
Thanks Harri, you are the Best!
John Denver was a poet/songwriter/singer. It hurt my heart when he died.
It still hurts my heart.
He was also an actor, record producer, humanitarian and activist. Lovely human being.
This song is so close to my heart. Great reaction
Sir, you are one gentleman I would love to sit with and talk to, while listening to the gems from the past
“Annie’s Song” is a beautiful love song by John Denver. You should listen to this song.💕💕💕
Hey Linda, Harri just reacted to that song last week. If you type in his name and the song title you’ll find it 🌺✌️
The power of the pictorial version of this is worth you to check it out.
The pictures with the words are awesome inspiring.
The best high can be had in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado! Whether it's a natural high or one from smoking great reefer, I've smoked a mile up in Colorado and it was the best buzz of my life! Probably from the thinner air anyway!
Love John Denver! Saw him in '86 at Willie Nelson's first Farm Aid concert. The arena in Champaign-Urbana was full of all ages - families, lots of young 20 & 30s & middle aged folks. When John Denver started singing, everyone turned around toward the stage and listened. Groups of people held hands and the crowd on the field ( vs the bleachers) started swaying to his beautiful voice. I was 26, on the field and it was a beautiful thing to watch & listen to. His effect on people was...calming. I agree with your reaction - a beautiful, spiritual soul. I dont think the campfire line was sung to all audiences.😄 It was not in the lyrics I just looked up!❤
I just learned how to play this song on my guitar! John's guitar part is multiple hammers and pick offs while strumming! But there is a 2nd guitar in the background too!
I really think you'd love "Poems, Prayers, and Promises"!! Either the "The Wildlife Concert" version or the "An Evening with John Denver" version! Give "Sunshine on my Shoulders" a try if you haven't yet and "Follow Me" as well!!
Harry, you really come across as a beautiful soul... Makes me happy there's still people like you in the world.. Always a pleasure, sir..
Great pick.
I was very much in Colorado and the Rockies when this song came out. Totally reflected the feeling then.
Poems, Prayers, and Promises.
As a fellow Air Force Brat, I can totally relate to coming home to a place I'd never been before. For some, the time is just full of excitement, but for some, it's a pretty lonely place always leaving every couple of/few years. I found it hard connecting to people and places, too. If you ask me where I'm from, I'll say "Fort McPherson Army Post,Georgia". If you ask me where my home is, I'll say "music". It was the one thing I always had with me that gave me a small feeling of "home" wherever I lived.
I lived in Colorado for one short year 1971-72. 50 years and I’d move back tomorrow. Those mountains call me.
I grew up listening to John Denver. I can relate to this song. I live in the Rocky Mountains in Idaho. Our Mountains run through Colorado. "I've seen it rain and fire in the sky". The lightning lightning the peaks if the mountain are quite a show.
Awesome review. Take care.
You rock! You're on! ☺👍
I lived in durango Colorado when this came out.Everytime we drove from durango to silverton this song came on.Nothing better than the sam juans
I fully agree ! I never lived there, but in 86’ I had fun hitchhiking all over the state. I once met a guy who told me to always go on the backroads. His advice was valuable in Colorado, with all it’s beautiful backroads - especially Durango>Silverton>Ouray. And I can’t forget to mention that the people were as friendly as anywhere I’ve been - never had any long waits for rides like some other regions. I guess looking a lot like John Denver helped !
Durango is a great area. We have a good friend in Mayday at the mouth of La Plata canyon. The scenery is incredible there.
Awesome artist. His music takes you somewhere, touches your heart.
So many people migrated to Colorado in the late 70’s and early 80’s as a way to start over in a place that was beautiful and back then was still a very Western blue collar place that values privacy, simplicity, and the majesty of nature.
John loved nature! He turned a lot of people onto camping & the environmental movement. Huge environmentalists!! Early 70's & so it was still basically the 60's. The Beatles came over in 64 & the feels if the 60's went to 74. 75/76 is when disco became popular & was different. Really 75 to early 80's was the 70's.
He was born in the summer of his 27th year...... A lyric that cuts me deep every time. But, if you lead your life in a fashion that does not bring you joy or peace or completion yet you find that sense immediately when you enter the right environment, the Rocky Mountains, for example, then it is easy to feel born again or finally at home. I believe that feeling is what inspired Henry John Deutchendorf Junior in his sentiment here. A wonderful song.
An awesome reaction. I'm a resident of Colorado (for the third time, the first in the early 1960's, the second in the mid-to-late 1970's, and now since 2019). John Denver was named Poet Laureate of the State of Colorado in 1974 (I was a resident at the time). Additionally, Colorado was the first state in the US to legalize recreational use of marijuana in 2014--I'm pretty sure these facts are related. I'm a 30-year veteran of the US Air Force, and a little known fact is John Denver's father was a distinguished US Air Force pilot who achieved a number of speed record in the B-58 Hustler. Mr. John Denver, peace be upon him, was a great man and has a very special place in my heart for many reasons.
John Denver spent years trying to break in to some success in the music industry, playing state fairs, carnivals, and honkytonks trying hard to make it as a solo act after leaving the comfort of folk groups. There was always the temptation to go back or pursue other opportunities, but he found solace & rejuvenation return when he returned to the natural beauty of the mountains.
Yes Harri, your interpretation of the campfire high is spot on. This hit was released in autumn of ‘72, he was a folk singer in the 60s.
I was on a lake in a tiny boat in Washington state. A bald eagle, the American eagle, came flying from the trees and scooped up a fish not ten feet from the front of the boat. I’d be a poorer woman for not having seen that, majestic doesn’t even begin to capture it.
John Denver was, like everyone, touched by the fragilities of life, going through a couple of divorces over his lifetime. But on the whole, he was one of the most stable entertainers on the circuit. His songbook is deep, wonderful, and will long outlive his tragic end.
I always thought the part about "on the road and hangin' by a song" meant that he had enough of concert after concert and always being pressured to write another hit and he needed to get away. And, yes... a congressman tried to put the "stoned" connotation to that lyric. Denver quickly disabused the idiot by responding that "high" means feeling good with your friends. And "seeing fire in the sky" was a meteor shower. I'm glad you've come to like John Denver. He was one of my favorite singers Back Then.
John made it sound so easy, but what a voice! His songs were so catchy but try singing along to something like Calypso and you realize what pipes and control he had.
John has a very rich and varied rabbit hole. If you like this one, check out "He'd Rather Be In Colorado", " "Back Home Again", "I'm Sorry" (one of his Number Ones) "Rhymes and Reasons" and bunch of others that are too numerous to mention. His songs are mostly autobiographical, about his life in the mountains with Annie. It might seem a bit schmaltzy now, or old-fashioned, but he was immensely popular in his time and his songs have stood the test of time. He's been gone over 25 years now and we still listen to his music.
All of John Denver's songs are great. He was a great singer and songwriter. John Denver was as good live as the studio versions. At one time he was as popular, if not more so, than Frank Sinatra. He was an environmentalist before anyone knew what one was.
Have you visited Colorado? I have been fortunate and blessed to live in Colorado for 7 years. The best part is hiking through mountain meadows full of wildflowers,raspberry and strawberry plants.
I would suggest reading the many works of John Muir;he was a wildlife biologist,author and helped establish the National Parks. His writing about the natural world is beautiful.
Proud to have met him. We miss you John. 👏😢 One of Colorado’s State song’s.
Howdy from the Centennial State (Colorado)!
Yes, this is one of our state songs, along with the old western/folk song "Where The Columbines Grow." Also, "America The Beautiful" was written after its author took a trip to the top of Pike's Peak, near Colorado Springs. You should come and see our beautiful state sometime!
Yes, very special man. Totally unique and gone much too soon.
His success and life on the road broke his precious marriage. He loved her until he died. Brought her flowers every year on her birthday even after the divorce. She never remarried.
Growing up, having been able to live at the footsteps of the Colorado Rocky Mountains this song has always had a special place in my heart.
John Denver has such a beautiful voice and he can even turn the darkest of songs into a beautiful song. Check out "Darcy Farrow".