Reaction to Rocky mountain high by John Denver.This song was said to have been adopted by the state of Colorado. #johndenver #countrymusic #countrymusicreaction
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.
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.
I raise my almost 2 year old daughter on John Denver's music. He was one of the most beautiful souls. My little girl sings sunshine on my shoulders to herself sometimes and it warms my heart. She has the music in her. Thank you John for all of the beautiful songs that help me express my love to my darling daughter.
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
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...
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.
The full line is "Friends around the campfire, and everyone was high, *Rocky Mountain high*." He's talking about a spiritual high from the beauty of nature, not necessarily chemical. But yes, he got a lot of grief over that.
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.
Absolutely incredible song. I was born in Colorado and if you've ever been there, you feel the spiritual connection with nature. John Denver was one of the greatest singer/song writers of the 70's. I miss him.
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 believe when he says sitting around the camp and everyone is high, that hes more referring to the euphoria of being in nature in the rocky mountains..... but I could be wrong, but anyone who has ever visited the rocky mountains knows that feeling...
From Poems Prayers and Promises "It's really fine to have a chance to hang around And lie there by the fire and watch the evenin' tire While all friends and my old lady Sit and pass a pipe around And talk of poems and prayers and promises" Yeah, they were definitely enjoying "nature"
@@thelawofficesofdeweycheatu7166 Really. I didn't think John Denver was into that, he seemed pretty squeaky clean, upstanding citizen type guy. But you never know..
@@thelawofficesofdeweycheatu7166 you are talking about two completely separate songs, no one was debating the song " Poems Prayers and Promises" we are talking about the song "Rocky mountain high" so what's your point???? And I've never doubted the fact that John Denver and his friends (in life) partook in a lil smoking and getting high, I was simply talking about that 1 particular line in the song, and I also didn't say it was definitely about being about getting that euphoric feeling from being in nature, I said I believe it could be, but that it could have also been the other, so you quoting line from an entirely different song proves nothing...
Yes, there was push-back to the song. Many radio stations banned it. Denver said the "high" he sang of was about the natural high of being in nature. He even testified in Congress about it. The "fire in the sky" was about the aurora borealis and meteor showers seen in the mountains.
Actually I have seen a PBS anniversary special for his music in the last few years. His wife Annie was extensively interviewed for it. She admitted, on camera; that they had gone up into the mountains with friends to watch a meteorite shower. They were getting high around the campfire!! I am glad he lied to Congress. None of their damn biz anyway!!
I remember that mess. I’d forgotten all about that. I was in the first grade when the song came out but not sure when I heard about the controversy if I can call it that. I’m bad with words.
@@bobbyscott5162 Moot point considering the discussion is about whether or not Denver was referencing getting stoned in the lyrics! But hey... thanks for the contribution all the same!
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...
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.
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.
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 😁
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.
The first time I visited the Rocky Mountains I knew God existed. That was 50 years ago and when I close my eyes I can still see the majesty of the mountains. I'm so glad you had a chance to experience this song. My generation wants your generation to know you can have great music that actually contributes to your overall well-being and fills your soul. Go find it. It's there.
Harri you are correct. John was all about the beauty of nature and was a staunch environmentalist. Check out his song Calypso. It is a tribute to explorer and ocean researcher Jacques Cousteau, whose research vessel was called Calypso.
"John was all about the beauty of nature and was a staunch environmentalist." The same can be said for Ted Nugent, though it might be more accurate to describe Nugent as a conservationist.
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.
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.
"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.
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 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.
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.
Harri -- Do you want to listen to something beauiful, too (because everything he wrote was beautiful!)-- This song is about his passion for the oceans and seas and his hero Jacques Cousteau, famous oceanographer and his explorations on his ship The "Calypso." Denver YODELS in this song! SO beautiful!.
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.
You need to check out the live versions. JD sounded better in person than on record. He usually ended this with a falsetto note in concert. He had a wonderful falsetto. Check out his songs 'Spirit' & 'Calypso' for evidence of that. He was a spiritual man, & an introvert with a tendency to depression. He had suicidal ideation at various times in his life, but nature was his greatest comfort.(If it helps, his family do not believe he killed himself. It was just an accident.)He was happiest in nature. I miss him very much.
After having heard this song a thousand times, a few months ago I actually LISTENED to it. Was like hearing it for the first time. I never noticed how good these lyrics were, before.
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!
He lived his life loving nature but longing for a home (he was a military child who moved often). His sang with Mitchell Trio and started life on the road. At age 27 he found Aspen Colorado and he found his home. He was always on the road still, but longing to be home. There is a line in there about losing a friend but keeping a memory: one of his friends visited and was killed on John’s motorcycle. This song is John’s 1972 autobiography, his theme song, and now it is the official state song of Colorado. The part about scars upon the land dealt with the 1972 Winter Olympics which brought too many people into Colorado. He was one of a kind.
When John wrote this song he was a new resident of Aspen. It is the official state song of Colorado. John is not singing of any kind of breakdown, but he did have his downfalls as a Superstar. His divorce from his wife Annie I imagine was soul crushing, around the same time he was being dropped by RCA records in the 80s after his career had reached it's climax. He was the highest selling artist in RCA history and the 2nd highest selling artist of the 70s next to Elton John. This was the beginning of his downfall. I believe he had 2 DUIs following these events. God I love John Denver. What an amazing talent, he was too young to die.
There is something about the Rocky Mountains that draws you in. I choose to live in the lower Rockies where I feel like I can touch them every day. I was 25 when I realized it - that was 41 years ago!
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 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 !
Two songs you MUST listen to: "Spirit" and "Singing Skies and Dancing Waters," two of his most underrated songs ever! Neither got much airplay but both remain favorites of his biggest fans. The latter, "Singing Skies" has even been performed in churches over the years. Two beautiful songs! Ya gotta hear them!
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.
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!!
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.
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.
This is considered country folk music, he does have several good songs died in his plane (crash) he loved to fly. You got it right he was speaking about himself in the song.
I think you hit the nail on the head. Denver was an alcoholic and lost his marriage to infidelity. There was definitely some soul bearing in this song. Although he put a positive spin on it, he was a tricked soul. You are intuitive about human nature. I love his talent and his voice is one of a kind. He probably was also a spiritual man.
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 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 !!!
