THANK YOU so much for doing this guys!! It’s so nice to have such a lovely song about your home 🏔 💙…inspired by the beauty and experiences with his Colorado friends, one of them was my Dad… this song is LOADED with hidden meaning! For a while, it was banned because the powers that be were all upset about the word ‘high’ assuming it referred to drug use, and even though drugs were definitely being used, the chorus high refers to the other stuff you were talking about the altitude, finding God within and in the serenity of a clear blue Mountain Lake, all that stuff… I think he even had to testify before Congress as to that, def not high school Smokey 😂… the campfire ‘high’ is a different story… …the lyrics they Should have been worried about…’And they say he got crazy once, and he tried to touch the sun, and he lost a friend, but kept the memory’…my Dad is the friend he lost and the memory is the music, and trying to touch the sun happened on a spiritual peyote trip. We didn’t lose my dad to the Grim Reaper just yet, we lost him to a cult, the same cult that is referenced in the first verse (born again and finding ‘keys to every door’ are guided meditation techniques thru their guru), John Denver found his way out of the cult and wanted to explore other ways and tour the country with his new friends and wanted my dad to tour with him, he was an amazing guitar player, but he was so broken after his tour in Vietnam that he chose the cult instead and we lost him… but some of those same friends are still in Aspen, thriving and still making music today. (Btw, my mother‘s friend came and got my mom and me out of the cult when I was about five..my dad stayed and devoted his life to a false God, which eventually let him to suicide, but my mom and I did really well on our own, relatively speaking, and still love our Colorado mountains.) About 25 years after this song came out, I was living in another mountain town in Colorado but this time on the southern end, and so was John Denver‘s son, Zach! We ended up in the same circle of friends, by then, both of our dads had passed, tragically, and it was just a really cool full circle Moment in life. Raining fire in the sky was the Perseids meteor shower…Amazing, mid August is when you get the most meteors if you ever get the chance to visit Colorado at that time of year you’ll never see anything like it, so beautiful.☄ enough stars to cast a shadow💙🌌
@@Hollywood6IX you were spot ON with M.A.S.H. 😂 😂 Excellent show… and when you guys get a chance on your own time or whatever you absolutely need to watch Zakk Wylde doing NRB on a Hello Kitty guitar it’s one of my favorite videos out there!💕🤘🏼
@@ShanLH5 💙thx sweet heart… I sent you a reply earlier, but it mysteriously disappeared lol. Very curious if you got the chance to see it tho..?? Not too important just wanted to say thank you and it wouldn’t be the first time a comment of mine regarding the cult was disappeared…
im mostly a metal fan but john denver is literally one of the greatest folk artists every to me, he has so many incredible songs with beautiful lyrics.
I am a rocker. I play in and have always played in rock bands. Missed the train by such a small amount but grunge killed everyone. But I remember the eighties. John Denver was a hero in the senate hearings about censorship. It was led by Tipper Gore and her bitch. He brought up this song specifically because a lot of country stations would not play it because High is in the song. He wasn't even liked by cunt tree royalty because he was more folk instead of country and western. I remember as a jid with three stations watching Charlie Rich dis him and get pissy because he was winning awards. Just a hippy looking dude that luved in Colorado instead of Nashville but had true talent instead of marketing. So John Denver in the eighties earned a lot of respect siding with Dee Snider. As for Tipper and Algore Explicite Lyrics just added to the intrigue and sold so many albums. And now we have hip hop about killing cops and slapping hos but nothing is being done.
John Denver was a legend. A true American poet, his words woven into the American songbook. Seriously talented dude, who was a good & decent human being. He went to speak in front of Congress to defend the rights of all musicians to sing their songs with whatever kind of language and imagery they use, from rock to rap, it’s all art and should be put out, NOT AT ALL censored. He took congress to task, in the most respectful way possible. Killed them with kindness. Made them do an about face and end their censorship campaign! Really because afterwards they realized the American people agreed with John Denver and Dee Snider from Twisted Sister when they testified about censorship being against American values.
As a kid i would hear songs like this on the radio and think its a nice song But until i heard it on a good set of headphones i did not realize how beautiful it was I cant listen to it at 60 years old without a smile on my face and a tear in my eye.
You are right, a guy that likes to be in nature! This is John's own story about moving to the mountains and finding his special place of inner peace through being one with nature. He was an advocate for conservation and so many of his song lyrics express his reverence for the outdoors. Of COURSE this was during the 70's -- the decade of the absolute best music!
Born in Roswell, graduated high school in Ft Worth. He fell in love with the mountains and Colorado when he finally went, hence the lyrics “He was born in the summer of his 27th year. Going home , to a place he’s never been before.” The line is a nod to finding the place where he was able to be himself.
"I know he'd be a poorer man if he never saw an eagle fly"......no one combined poetry and nature the way John Denver did......he was a pure, beautiful soul with the talent and humility to pour that spirited soul into beautiful music!
John Denver not only sung about the Rocky Mountains, he also made a song about the seas, oceans and about the ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, his crew and his ship named "Calypso", which is a beautiful, meaningful song, actually my favorite.
Yes, John Denver did play guitar. He has a distinct style you can tell. This song was played on a 6 string acoustic but many of his songs are played on a Guild 12 string acoustic. Annie's Song is a good example. Poems, Prayers and Promises, Leaving On a Jet Plane. Any of his songs are Masterworks!
When I was in high school, John Denver was inescapable on the radio and TV. They say familiarity breeds contempt; we used to ridicule him for his Page Boy haircut and round glasses. I now recognize how beautiful and personal his music is. Look for his amazing duet with Mama Cass, recorded live on TV.
Born Henry John Deutschendorf Came up when we still had troubadours, they played all over in clubs ,coffee houses and perfected their unique styles . Our country still had immense wildness that is hard to find now. Standing in a wilderness can be a spiritual experience ☮️
He had one of the purest voices ever.. wrote his own music, and was an advocate for the environment before it was cool to do so. Had the joy of seeing live in the mid-80s… it was an amazing concert!
He started out as folk singer in the 60 with a group and went out on his own. He’s been in a couple of movies, too. He’s had a one of a kind beautiful crystal clear voice. He’s truly missed ❤😢
One of those sounds you can just lie back and soak into, like having a warm bath on a cold winter's night. John Denver was a great songwriter. He moved to Colorado and spent most of his life there. "Sweet Surrender" and "Annie's Song" are two more classics of his. He left us too soon - RIP John Denver.
“Friends around the campfire and everybody’s high”. Such a great statement of the 70s. I’m so thankful to have grown up in the 60s/70s when the music was so incredibly good. No autotune, just pure talent.
It is so effing nice you guys just let a song play..get into what the artist was trying to do..and just experience.. You let the music stand on its laurels. You pull it apart afterwards…so damn refreshing.
I saw him in concert many years ago and it was amazing! He loved performing and when the band took a break he grabbed a guitar and a chair and played solo. Love his voice!
Love John Denver. My favorite song of his is "The Eagle and the Hawk." He spent some of his time living in Minnesota (his wife Annie was from Edina, MN).
John Denver is my most favorite artist! I am so glad you guys listened to this song! If you want a great song that is poetically simple but just as powerful is "Sunshine on My Shoulders" and you get the full strength of John's voice and range! Great reaction, guys! John was born in New Mexico but his Father was an Air Force pilot and moved a lot. Did the music circuit thing in his early career but at one point in his life, he moves to Colorado and lived there and loved it until his death. But he had a guitar that his Grandmother gave him, he tells the story of it in the TV special version of "This Old Guitar" which I adore!
Yes. John did play the guitar. And as a guitar player, I must say. His music is not easy to learn. This song was very close to my experience of moving to Colorado at the age of 19
In the early 70s we rented a home in Signal Hill Calif. Went outside to star the BBQ and could hear John singing and nor on a radio. Our landlord lived next door and found out Nina was John's Aunt . He would take a break from Hollywood and LA. John was a nice guy and will be missed .
The Rocky Mountains actually run through New Mexico as well Colorado, living in Colorado the Mountains are really what makes this place with the lakes and streams and rivers and the pines and aspens, very beautiful here.
John had a home by Aspen Colorado. He loved the Colorado mountains a lot and did things to help preserve the wilderness. Fire in the sky is when you see an asteroid shower up in the mountains, where there’s no city lights in the sky.
He has a song that tells a great story about what playing his guitar has done for him (you should see the Live version). The song is called "This Old Guitar". Though it's probably not his best song, it's still remarkable and kind of heart wrenching. Check it out
I live in Colorado.....I ride my big Indian all over the Colorado Rockies....nothing like it....with the sunsets over the mountains, the sky and clouds turn blood red when it is just right....
John Denver lived in Aspen Colorado. He loved the Rocky Mountains. If you ever get the chance to visit the Rockies and hike in high altitude you experience a high from the thin air but also the stunning beauty. His ashes were scattered in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
If I remember right, the reference to fire in the sky was being in the Rockies and witnessing a meteor shower. John Denver was a nature boy and tree hugger. React to the video of his sea shanty song; Calypso. You’ll see him and his friend, renowned ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau aboard his famous research ship, The Calypso
I'm a big metal head that always used to go to a metal bar to hang out and I would pick a lot of john denver music to play on the jukebox, even metal heads in the bar would start singing it together.
John was probably one of the first singers I grew up listening to. I always loved his voice and the imagery in his songs. Just takes you away to a peaceful place and away from stress. Another song that the Talkers should check out is Leaving on a jet plane. He wrote the song and Peter Paul and Mary helped make the song popular. John Denver definitely fit into the singer songwriter genre with other singers like Jim Croce, James Taylor, Bob Dylan and Harry Chapin.
Thank you so much for the wonderful memory of dancing and singing around the living room with my mother as a small child! 🥰 It must have been the early/mid '70s! I was around 4 years old and had a very young mother with an excellent mixed taste in music! We come from Germany, so country music is something unusual! I loved John Denver's songs!
I have loved John Denver since I was a child, and I am 62. Thank you for reacting to this. It was a devastating day when John died in that plane crash. RIP John. You are missed. God Bless! 🐢🇺🇸
This song was first performed in a documentary he did. I was a kid, 13 or 14 and I fell in love with him. He was a huge influence on my life for years. It does my heart good to see you guys get transcended by his song, his voice. Thanks guys.
John Denver's lyrics are so simple, yet deep. He has a way of speaking to our soul. He was called to a Congressional Committee about the word "High" in this song, as they thought he was promoting the use of drugs. He stood before them and said the "high" was the feeling you get when you stand before the Rocky Mountains....then went on for 20 minutes about conservation and preserving our wild life and wonderful Colorado and plains. Congress dropped it at that at point. John was a great, gentle man who gave us so many wonderful songs that are still here and played long after he died. He can truly touch our heart.
Sadly he passed but he left us with a plethora of music. I seen it raining fire from the sky - he was up in the mountains with his wife and they saw a meteror shower. He played his own guitar and sang a lot of the background vocals. Loved this.
Where you asked about him saying hes seen fire in the sky. He was talking about meteor showers (shooting stars). And love the line the starlight is softer than a lullaby. If you have never been to the rockies in colorado you are missing an amazing experience.
Great reaction, love the joy that John Denver brought to your faces, all these years after his passing. Saw him in concert, you should watch some of his live performances. Thanks for playing one of my all time favorites!
I saw him in concert around the mid 1970s! It was such a great concert! And yes, he definitely has a distinct voice (beautiful voice) that really stands out and is easily recognizable! I’ve always loved John Denver’s music since I was a teenager! I’m 66 now!
Excellent reaction. You have earned my subscription. Thank you for having an open mind. He was born in Roswell New Mexico. Another good one by him that is beautiful and he plays piano is his song For You that was performed live at the Wildlife Concert. That concert was awesome and he performed so many of his wonderful songs. Wonderful storyteller that left us way too soon❣️ You were spot on with your assessment of what the song is about. He loved nature. Fire in the sky was the Perseid meteor showers that he watched.
I bought this album when I was 13. I grew up in Denver and John Denver was my first concert at Red Rocks in 1974. John was a big representative of Colorado back in the 70's and was a good representative of our state. He grew out of favor towards the end of the 70's, but he never gave up his passion for the Rockies or for nature at large. His voice was one of the purest you will ever hear.
before my man John went solo he was in the Chad Mitchell Trio...basically a Vietnam protest group...but his solo stuff is UNBELIEVABLE...it'll make a hard, grown man cry...
This song was a thought he wrote it in a few hours. Him and his wife with friends camping getting high watching a meter shower .seeing fire in the sky.
The Rocky Mountains go down as far south as Northern New Mexico. The southern end of the Rocky Mountains are considered to be the Jemez Mountains and the southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico.
You’re near on the money. A guy like ya’ll or me, who experiences tragic circumstances and later finds peace in the mountains and a rural area in general. ❤
Not only does he play the guitar very well, you should check his song "This Old Guitar" which tells the tale of his playing. RIP John, we really miss your voice. Especially at Christmas because he sang some beautiful carols. He was also a good actor in a couple of movies.
The desert heat is great. 115 feels like 85 as long as you are in the shade. If you step out of the shade, you get that instant sunburn. Every trip I've made to New Mexico I fall in love with the state even more. Plus I'm a huge hot sauce guy and what better place for that then the hot pepper capital of the world. Plus green chilli....... enough said.
It's beautiful there! I lived there for a while! Beautiful sunsets and sunrises!! And gotta love the green chilies! People would buy them by the boxes and wait in line to get them all roasted at the store...yum
@kristaspecht yes!!! The sunsets are magical. It reminds me of the painting vanilla sky. My first trip to Rio Rancho y friend and I took a trip to Sandia Mountain, and we stopped at a mom and pop house style burger shop. He told me to try the green chili burger. I did and ended up getting a second burger for the road. Every time I go now, that is the first thing we do. Stop for a green chili burger.
@@KenBober ya I have some super awesome very vibrant colored pics of both sunrises and sunsets And I miss green chili casserole and the tamales made with green chilies
@kristaspecht you are making me hungry lol. I've been meaning to go back but I have to many trips planned this year and the following year. On the second trip my buddy and I drove an hour into the desert where there were roads plowed in the sand but nothing was built. Looked like a failed housing development. I was amazed on how quiet it was. No sounds other than the Humm in your ears and the wind.
New Mexico is just south of Colorado and is part of the Rocky mountains. The Continental Divide runs South and North through both the states as well. Half of Colorado is considered high desert. Do wish young people would travel the United States more like we all used to. And I don't mean by jet either. It would give your generation a whole new perspective on the crap many have been fed. Been country all my life I've also been a pilot since the early seventies. So here's the skinny on John Denver's death. He like myself had a hanger full of airplanes. Differences I build and wrench on my own he had a mechanic. I've been flying experimental planes for decades. And when you assemble them yourself you can be your own mechanic. John Denver had experimental planes as well. And he had a new one. The mechanic told him not to take it up but he did anyway. There was fuel in one of the tanks the trouble was he was not able to reach the valve to transfer from one tank to the other. He broke the first rule by taking a grounded plane for a flight. you then broke a couple other rules well doing stunts over his buddy Clint Eastwood's estate. And that's when is airplane sputtered. Flying too low over a populated area and unable to switch tanks and restart he crashed. A sad day not just in country but in music in general. His songs were typically played on both soft Rock and Country stations. 🤠🐂🏞️🛩️
I saw John Denver in Lincoln, Nebraska about 1973 - I thought at the time that his voice was too pure for the electronic equipment available then. Great concert.
It shouldn't be surprising but when I lived in Colorado I swear I would hear yhis song every time I went to the grocery store lmfao I miss Colorado, even miss hearing this song so much. Awesome reaction🤘🏼🤌🏼
He was born in New Mexico. He took his stage name from the beautiful capital city of his favorite state, Colorado. Later in life, Denver and his family settled in Aspen, Colorado and his love for the Rocky Mountains inspired many of his songs. He was an an environmentalist. Died flying an experimental ultra light plane.
I went with my dad on a US car round trip in october 2023. We went from Denver up to Yellowstone, down to Reno, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon and back up to Denver. We had John Denver on repeat on the car stereo. You guys live in the most beautiful place in the world. I wish I lived in the US
Yes !!! There's Never enough Love for John Denver. And also he was a Phenomenal guitarist. And that Freaking Voice!!! This guy was the total package and took a ton of Crap after Folk music died.
My absolute favorite is Poems and Prayers and Promises by John Denver, speaks very loudly of the feelings of my generation, give it a listen, I'd love to hear your reactions
THANK YOU so much for doing this guys!! It’s so nice to have such a lovely song about your home 🏔 💙…inspired by the beauty and experiences with his Colorado friends, one of them was my Dad… this song is LOADED with hidden meaning! For a while, it was banned because the powers that be were all upset about the word ‘high’ assuming it referred to drug use, and even though drugs were definitely being used, the chorus high refers to the other stuff you were talking about the altitude, finding God within and in the serenity of a clear blue Mountain Lake, all that stuff… I think he even had to testify before Congress as to that, def not high school Smokey 😂… the campfire ‘high’ is a different story…
…the lyrics they Should have been worried about…’And they say he got crazy once, and he tried to touch the sun, and he lost a friend, but kept the memory’…my Dad is the friend he lost and the memory is the music, and trying to touch the sun happened on a spiritual peyote trip. We didn’t lose my dad to the Grim Reaper just yet, we lost him to a cult, the same cult that is referenced in the first verse (born again and finding ‘keys to every door’ are guided meditation techniques thru their guru), John Denver found his way out of the cult and wanted to explore other ways and tour the country with his new friends and wanted my dad to tour with him, he was an amazing guitar player, but he was so broken after his tour in Vietnam that he chose the cult instead and we lost him… but some of those same friends are still in Aspen, thriving and still making music today. (Btw, my mother‘s friend came and got my mom and me out of the cult when I was about five..my dad stayed and devoted his life to a false God, which eventually let him to suicide, but my mom and I did really well on our own, relatively speaking, and still love our Colorado mountains.)
About 25 years after this song came out, I was living in another mountain town in Colorado but this time on the southern end, and so was John Denver‘s son, Zach! We ended up in the same circle of friends, by then, both of our dads had passed, tragically, and it was just a really cool full circle Moment in life.
Raining fire in the sky was the Perseids meteor shower…Amazing, mid August is when you get the most meteors if you ever get the chance to visit Colorado at that time of year you’ll never see anything like it, so beautiful.☄ enough stars to cast a shadow💙🌌
Thank you Genny for all the info and all your love and support on Patreon!!!
What an interesting story! So sorry about your dad and everything you went through 🤗♥️
@@Hollywood6IX you were spot ON with M.A.S.H. 😂 😂 Excellent show… and when you guys get a chance on your own time or whatever you absolutely need to watch Zakk Wylde doing NRB on a Hello Kitty guitar it’s one of my favorite videos out there!💕🤘🏼
@@ShanLH5 💙thx sweet heart… I sent you a reply earlier, but it mysteriously disappeared lol. Very curious if you got the chance to see it tho..?? Not too important just wanted to say thank you and it wouldn’t be the first time a comment of mine regarding the cult was disappeared…
@@gennyreese420 sorry, no I didn’t see it! You’re welcome ☺️ Btw I love Zakk Wylde and John 5 playing the hello kitty guitar 😆
"He was born in the summer of his twenty-seventh year, Coming home to a place he'd never been before... " One of my favorite meaningful lyrics.
“I’ve seen it rain fire in the sky” refers to him seeing a meteor shower while camping with friends in the mountains.
im mostly a metal fan but john denver is literally one of the greatest folk artists every to me, he has so many incredible songs with beautiful lyrics.
#facts
Absolutely. My dad loved John Denver. I grew up listening to his stuff.
I am a rocker. I play in and have always played in rock bands. Missed the train by such a small amount but grunge killed everyone. But I remember the eighties. John Denver was a hero in the senate hearings about censorship. It was led by Tipper Gore and her bitch. He brought up this song specifically because a lot of country stations would not play it because High is in the song. He wasn't even liked by cunt tree royalty because he was more folk instead of country and western. I remember as a jid with three stations watching Charlie Rich dis him and get pissy because he was winning awards. Just a hippy looking dude that luved in Colorado instead of Nashville but had true talent instead of marketing.
So John Denver in the eighties earned a lot of respect siding with Dee Snider. As for Tipper and Algore Explicite Lyrics just added to the intrigue and sold so many albums. And now we have hip hop about killing cops and slapping hos but nothing is being done.
John Denver was a legend. A true American poet, his words woven into the American songbook. Seriously talented dude, who was a good & decent human being. He went to speak in front of Congress to defend the rights of all musicians to sing their songs with whatever kind of language and imagery they use, from rock to rap, it’s all art and should be put out, NOT AT ALL censored. He took congress to task, in the most respectful way possible. Killed them with kindness. Made them do an about face and end their censorship campaign! Really because afterwards they realized the American people agreed with John Denver and Dee Snider from Twisted Sister when they testified about censorship being against American values.
Thanks for such beautiful words ✌💫
Now they need to do a Twisted Sister reaction
@@scottforge1360 RIGHT?!? From my favorite album Stay Hungry, LOVED the Horror-Teria combination of Captain Howdy and Street Justice
Best line of the song "Talk to God, and listen to the casual reply, Rocky Mountain high (high in Colorado)"
As a kid i would hear songs like this on the radio and think its a nice song But until i heard it on a good set of headphones i did not realize how beautiful it was I cant listen to it at 60 years old without a smile on my face and a tear in my eye.
You are right, a guy that likes to be in nature! This is John's own story about moving to the mountains and finding his special place of inner peace through being one with nature. He was an advocate for conservation and so many of his song lyrics express his reverence for the outdoors. Of COURSE this was during the 70's -- the decade of the absolute best music!
Born in Roswell, graduated high school in Ft Worth. He fell in love with the mountains and Colorado when he finally went, hence the lyrics “He was born in the summer of his 27th year. Going home , to a place he’s never been before.” The line is a nod to finding the place where he was able to be himself.
Attended Texas Tech
"He was born in the summer of his 27th year"... often overlooked and maybe the best opening line ever.
One of the greatest story teller , song writers ever ..
Absolutely
Also John Denver wrote songs for a lot of other artist's in addition to his own career.
"I know he'd be a poorer man if he never saw an eagle fly"......no one combined poetry and nature the way John Denver did......he was a pure, beautiful soul with the talent and humility to pour that spirited soul into beautiful music!
A real musician, a real singer, a real wordsmith, God he’s wonderful. Where are the musicians today..😢
John Denver not only sung about the Rocky Mountains, he also made a song about the seas, oceans and about the ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, his crew and his ship named "Calypso", which is a beautiful, meaningful song, actually my favorite.
Yes, John Denver did play guitar. He has a distinct style you can tell. This song was played on a 6 string acoustic but many of his songs are played on a Guild 12 string acoustic. Annie's Song is a good example. Poems, Prayers and Promises, Leaving On a Jet Plane. Any of his songs are Masterworks!
When I was in high school, John Denver was inescapable on the radio and TV. They say familiarity breeds contempt; we used to ridicule him for his Page Boy haircut and round glasses. I now recognize how beautiful and personal his music is. Look for his amazing duet with Mama Cass, recorded live on TV.
Same here. I’m glad I was exposed to this at an early age.
Born Henry John Deutschendorf Came up when we still had troubadours, they played all over in clubs ,coffee houses and perfected their unique styles . Our country still had immense wildness that is hard to find now. Standing in a wilderness can be a spiritual experience ☮️
Denver was a great environmental activist. His falsetto reaches the heavens on this one.
Not my genre, but can't deny John Denver is amazing. He always creates a great vibe with his music. Good reaction
He had one of the purest voices ever.. wrote his own music, and was an advocate for the environment before it was cool to do so. Had the joy of seeing live in the mid-80s… it was an amazing concert!
My brain just melts listening to John Denver. So calming and beautiful, he was such a talented vocalist and musician.
He started out as folk singer in the 60 with a group and went out on his own. He’s been in a couple of movies, too. He’s had a one of a kind beautiful crystal clear voice. He’s truly missed ❤😢
JOHN IS LIKE THE ( KAREN CARPENTER ) OF MALES, JUST STRUMMIN AND SINGIN UP IN THE SKIES YOU GUYS, INCREDIBLE VOCALS HE HAD! 💯😊
Nailed it
His voice with that mandolin and the acoustic guitar, so simple but so majestic, Country Roads and Annies Song are also great from John Denver
One of those sounds you can just lie back and soak into, like having a warm bath on a cold winter's night. John Denver was a great songwriter. He moved to Colorado and spent most of his life there. "Sweet Surrender" and "Annie's Song" are two more classics of his. He left us too soon - RIP John Denver.
You're so right about his distinctive voice! The song had some different interpretations, and I can attest at that altitude, you really do get HIGH.
“Friends around the campfire and everybody’s high”. Such a great statement of the 70s. I’m so thankful to have grown up in the 60s/70s when the music was so incredibly good. No autotune, just pure talent.
Grew up and live in Colorado...our mountains capture your heart especially if you hike them...its amazing camping on a huge mountain.
I love John Denver! My parents were stoner hippies, so I grew up listening to ALL the good music!! 😊
How can you NOT love this song?
this song is like hearing the bending of an enormous spiritual bow. brings me to tears every time. thank you for this.
It is so effing nice you guys just let a song play..get into what the artist was trying to do..and just experience..
You let the music stand on its laurels. You pull it apart afterwards…so damn refreshing.
I saw him in concert many years ago and it was amazing! He loved performing and when the band took a break he grabbed a guitar and a chair and played solo. Love his voice!
Love John Denver. My favorite song of his is "The Eagle and the Hawk." He spent some of his time living in Minnesota (his wife Annie was from Edina, MN).
John Denver is my most favorite artist! I am so glad you guys listened to this song! If you want a great song that is poetically simple but just as powerful is "Sunshine on My Shoulders" and you get the full strength of John's voice and range! Great reaction, guys!
John was born in New Mexico but his Father was an Air Force pilot and moved a lot. Did the music circuit thing in his early career but at one point in his life, he moves to Colorado and lived there and loved it until his death. But he had a guitar that his Grandmother gave him, he tells the story of it in the TV special version of "This Old Guitar" which I adore!
You need to listen Annie's song and gee its great to be back home by John Denver.
The song that activates self reflection! classic
I always liked his television specials.
Yes. John did play the guitar. And as a guitar player, I must say. His music is not easy to learn. This song was very close to my experience of moving to Colorado at the age of 19
He aways told a beautiful story with his songs. Pure genius!
In the early 70s we rented a home in Signal Hill Calif. Went outside to star the BBQ and could hear John singing and nor on a radio. Our landlord lived next door and found out Nina was John's Aunt . He would take a break from Hollywood and LA. John was a nice guy and will be missed .
What's a iconic song thank you to who ever recommended this to the trash talkers ❤️
The Rocky Mountains actually run through New Mexico as well Colorado, living in Colorado the Mountains are really what makes this place with the lakes and streams and rivers and the pines and aspens, very beautiful here.
John had a home by Aspen Colorado. He loved the Colorado mountains a lot and did things to help preserve the wilderness. Fire in the sky is when you see an asteroid shower up in the mountains, where there’s no city lights in the sky.
Lived not to far from where I live right now, in Colorado. He may not have been born here, but like me, he got here as quickly as he could.
Rocky mountains end in New Mexico. Another NM favorite is Michael Martin Murphy. I'm sure you guys have heard Wildfire.
JD sang Michael Martin Murphy's, Boy From The Country. Made it his song with MMMs blessing. John even sang harmony on a couple of MMMs albums.
❤️🔥 this song still gives me the chills
John Denver was born in New Mexico. But lived much of his life in Aspen, Colorado.
You're right about the high. It's the feeling you get when you're deeply in touch with nature. There just isn't any high better than that.
If you haven’t yet, you have to check out “Annie’s Song”. It’s the most beautiful song he ever did. ❤
Then he cheated on her.
He has a song that tells a great story about what playing his guitar has done for him (you should see the Live version). The song is called "This Old Guitar". Though it's probably not his best song, it's still remarkable and kind of heart wrenching. Check it out
I live in Colorado.....I ride my big Indian all over the Colorado Rockies....nothing like it....with the sunsets over the mountains, the sky and clouds turn blood red when it is just right....
John Denver lived in Aspen Colorado. He loved the Rocky Mountains. If you ever get the chance to visit the Rockies and hike in high altitude you experience a high from the thin air but also the stunning beauty. His ashes were scattered in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
If I remember right, the reference to fire in the sky was being in the Rockies and witnessing a meteor shower. John Denver was a nature boy and tree hugger. React to the video of his sea shanty song; Calypso. You’ll see him and his friend, renowned ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau aboard his famous research ship, The Calypso
Beautiful song. Hard to go wrong with John. More please
He plays guitar. Amazing songwriter with the voice of an angel.
I love his music. Fly away is one of my faves
I'm a big metal head that always used to go to a metal bar to hang out and I would pick a lot of john denver music to play on the jukebox, even metal heads in the bar would start singing it together.
John had the purest voice. Outstanding lyrics.
John was probably one of the first singers I grew up listening to. I always loved his voice and the imagery in his songs.
Just takes you away to a peaceful place and away from stress.
Another song that the Talkers should check out is Leaving on a jet plane.
He wrote the song and Peter Paul and Mary helped make the song popular.
John Denver definitely fit into the singer songwriter genre with other singers like Jim Croce, James Taylor, Bob Dylan and Harry Chapin.
Good time. I enjoyed seeing someone come to it anew. The more you hear the lyrics, the deeper it is.
Love the song since I was a kid.
Great songwriter and criminally almost forgotten except for Country Roads.
John Denver was immense! A wonderful artist. There are a number of live videos of him. He was a great guitarist.
His voice is heavenly:)
Thank you so much for the wonderful memory of dancing and singing around the living room with my mother as a small child! 🥰 It must have been the early/mid '70s! I was around 4 years old and had a very young mother with an excellent mixed taste in music! We come from Germany, so country music is something unusual! I loved John Denver's songs!
John is a brilliant folk writer, singer and musician.
I have loved John Denver since I was a child, and I am 62. Thank you for reacting to this. It was a devastating day when John died in that plane crash. RIP John. You are missed. God Bless! 🐢🇺🇸
This song was first performed in a documentary he did. I was a kid, 13 or 14 and I fell in love with him. He was a huge influence on my life for years. It does my heart good to see you guys get transcended by his song, his voice. Thanks guys.
John Denver's lyrics are so simple, yet deep. He has a way of speaking to our soul. He was called to a Congressional Committee about the word "High" in this song, as they thought he was promoting the use of drugs. He stood before them and said the "high" was the feeling you get when you stand before the Rocky Mountains....then went on for 20 minutes about conservation and preserving our wild life and wonderful Colorado and plains. Congress dropped it at that at point. John was a great, gentle man who gave us so many wonderful songs that are still here and played long after he died. He can truly touch our heart.
Sadly he passed but he left us with a plethora of music. I seen it raining fire from the sky - he was up in the mountains with his wife and they saw a meteror shower. He played his own guitar and sang a lot of the background vocals. Loved this.
John lived all over the US as he was a US airforce army brat. His parents were from Oklahoma. He was huge in the 70s.
Where you asked about him saying hes seen fire in the sky. He was talking about meteor showers (shooting stars). And love the line the starlight is softer than a lullaby. If you have never been to the rockies in colorado you are missing an amazing experience.
Great reaction, love the joy that John Denver brought to your faces, all these years after his passing. Saw him in concert, you should watch some of his live performances. Thanks for playing one of my all time favorites!
I saw him in concert around the mid 1970s! It was such a great concert! And yes, he definitely has a distinct voice (beautiful voice) that really stands out and is easily recognizable! I’ve always loved John Denver’s music since I was a teenager! I’m 66 now!
Excellent reaction. You have earned my subscription. Thank you for having an open mind. He was born in Roswell New Mexico. Another good one by him that is beautiful and he plays piano is his song For You that was performed live at the Wildlife Concert. That concert was awesome and he performed so many of his wonderful songs. Wonderful storyteller that left us way too soon❣️ You were spot on with your assessment of what the song is about. He loved nature. Fire in the sky was the Perseid meteor showers that he watched.
I bought this album when I was 13. I grew up in Denver and John Denver was my first concert at Red Rocks in 1974. John was a big representative of Colorado back in the 70's and was a good representative of our state. He grew out of favor towards the end of the 70's, but he never gave up his passion for the Rockies or for nature at large. His voice was one of the purest you will ever hear.
before my man John went solo he was in the Chad Mitchell Trio...basically a Vietnam protest group...but his solo stuff is UNBELIEVABLE...it'll make a hard, grown man cry...
This song was a thought he wrote it in a few hours. Him and his wife with friends camping getting high watching a meter shower .seeing fire in the sky.
Annies Song he wrote in 10 minutes on a ski lift. RMH took him 9 months. It's in his autobiography
The Rocky Mountains go down as far south as Northern New Mexico. The southern end of the Rocky Mountains are considered to be the Jemez Mountains and the southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico.
The comment about the high school reference is original..too funny
You’re near on the money. A guy like ya’ll or me, who experiences tragic circumstances and later finds peace in the mountains and a rural area in general. ❤
John played a 12 string guitar and is best watched live to really appreciate just how good he is. Yes, he can definitely play the guitar!
Great reaction guys. John Denver was an amazing songwriter. In addition, he was a really nice human being. ❤❤❤
Not only does he play the guitar very well, you should check his song "This Old Guitar" which tells the tale of his playing. RIP John, we really miss your voice. Especially at Christmas because he sang some beautiful carols. He was also a good actor in a couple of movies.
I want to cry every time I hear that voice.
Greetings from the Great White North 🇨🇦 John Denver can make a bad day feel better 😀
That's how I feel about Thank God I'm a country boy
The desert heat is great. 115 feels like 85 as long as you are in the shade. If you step out of the shade, you get that instant sunburn. Every trip I've made to New Mexico I fall in love with the state even more. Plus I'm a huge hot sauce guy and what better place for that then the hot pepper capital of the world. Plus green chilli....... enough said.
It's beautiful there! I lived there for a while! Beautiful sunsets and sunrises!! And gotta love the green chilies! People would buy them by the boxes and wait in line to get them all roasted at the store...yum
@kristaspecht yes!!! The sunsets are magical. It reminds me of the painting vanilla sky. My first trip to Rio Rancho y friend and I took a trip to Sandia Mountain, and we stopped at a mom and pop house style burger shop. He told me to try the green chili burger. I did and ended up getting a second burger for the road. Every time I go now, that is the first thing we do. Stop for a green chili burger.
@@KenBober ya I have some super awesome very vibrant colored pics of both sunrises and sunsets
And I miss green chili casserole and the tamales made with green chilies
@kristaspecht you are making me hungry lol. I've been meaning to go back but I have to many trips planned this year and the following year. On the second trip my buddy and I drove an hour into the desert where there were roads plowed in the sand but nothing was built. Looked like a failed housing development. I was amazed on how quiet it was. No sounds other than the Humm in your ears and the wind.
RIP John Denver. Gone way before his time.😢
I saw him in a movie with George Burns called Oh, God.
If you can believe it. This song was banned to play by radio stations in certian states because they thought it referred to taking drugs.
I'd forgotten that.
New Mexico is just south of Colorado and is part of the Rocky mountains.
The Continental Divide runs South and North through both the states as well.
Half of Colorado is considered high desert. Do wish young people would travel the United States more like we all used to. And I don't mean by jet either. It would give your generation a whole new perspective on the crap many have been fed.
Been country all my life I've also been a pilot since the early seventies.
So here's the skinny on John Denver's death.
He like myself had a hanger full of airplanes. Differences I build and wrench on my own he had a mechanic. I've been flying experimental planes for decades. And when you assemble them yourself you can be your own mechanic. John Denver had experimental planes as well. And he had a new one. The mechanic told him not to take it up but he did anyway. There was fuel in one of the tanks the trouble was he was not able to reach the valve to transfer from one tank to the other. He broke the first rule by taking a grounded plane for a flight. you then broke a couple other rules well doing stunts over his buddy Clint Eastwood's estate.
And that's when is airplane sputtered. Flying too low over a populated area and unable to switch tanks and restart he crashed.
A sad day not just in country but in music in general.
His songs were typically played on both soft Rock and Country stations.
🤠🐂🏞️🛩️
Yes John Denver is a great folk singer!
He has great songs! R.I.P. John
A True American Legend gone to soon ❤ RIP
I saw John Denver in Lincoln, Nebraska about 1973 - I thought at the time that his voice was too pure for the electronic equipment available then. Great concert.
It shouldn't be surprising but when I lived in Colorado I swear I would hear yhis song every time I went to the grocery store lmfao I miss Colorado, even miss hearing this song so much. Awesome reaction🤘🏼🤌🏼
He was born in New Mexico. He took his stage name from the beautiful capital city of his favorite state, Colorado. Later in life, Denver and his family settled in Aspen, Colorado and his love for the Rocky Mountains inspired many of his songs. He was an an environmentalist. Died flying an experimental ultra light plane.
Just happened to be up in Big Bear Mountains here in So Cal for the wife's b-day, and you guys react to this wonderful song by John Denver. 👍🎶
I went with my dad on a US car round trip in october 2023. We went from Denver up to Yellowstone, down to Reno, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon and back up to Denver. We had John Denver on repeat on the car stereo. You guys live in the most beautiful place in the world. I wish I lived in the US
Yes !!! There's Never enough Love for John Denver. And also he was a Phenomenal guitarist. And that Freaking Voice!!! This guy was the total package and took a ton of Crap after Folk music died.
My absolute favorite is Poems and Prayers and Promises by John Denver, speaks very loudly of the feelings of my generation, give it a listen, I'd love to hear your reactions