Someone played this at a bar in South Korea while I was in the military. Every single soldier stood and belted out this chorus ... Not a dry eye in the house by the end. Now, one of my favorite songs ever
I’m from WVA and when I was traveling in Europe on a bus in Switzerland, this song was played. I don’t think I’ve ever been more homesick. While I don’t live in WVA anymore, this song takes me back there, with a teardrop in my eye..❤️❤️❤️❤️
@@appalachianridgerunners6571 Thank you for the compliment😄. Grassman is what we call Bigfoot in Ohio. You are the first person who has caught that. Have a great weekend!
@@CLTHIKER It sure is. I've lived in South Jersey my entire life but I've visited WV many times over the years and became a diehard WVU fan forty years ago. Our family started camping in the Deep Creek, MD area in the early 80's and almost every year we would drive around to see Blackwater Falls and without fail make the 45 drive into Morgantown to pick up WVU gear and visit Mulan Puskar stadium. There's nothing like driving around that great state during the Fall when the colors are at their peak.
I like the way BJ starts with his arms crossed, closed.. then as he gets into it, he opens all the way up😅😅 Seriously need to hear Annie's Song. One of the most beautiful love songs ever.. played at my wedding 38 years ago🥰
Calibso. Great song. About the ocean. Name of a boat that exploded the ocean s of the world. Jacques Cousteau was an explorer and innovator of cleaning up the planet back in the day look it up you really is good song
John was such an amazing lyricist. Back in the day, his music was considered a combination of folk, pop, and country. He was really in to nature and was a conservationist. If you want to do more John Denver, you need to check out Rocky Mountain High and Annie's Song for sure!
"Aye Calypso" is one of those soaring lyrical tribute songs - he saaid he set foot on board the Calypso (Jaques Cousteau's research ship) and the chorus wrote itself in 15 minutes.
Yes, he was into nature and was a conservationist, but in a healthy way. He wasn't a nutty environmental EXTREMEST like so many of the other unrealistic lunatics out there.
@@smallblockchevy1022 he actually cared about the environment in a genuine way, as opposed to using the environment as an excuse for getting attention.
For quite a few years, this was the only "western"/non-Chinese song allowed to be played over the radio in Red China. It was a favorite of the (then) Chinese premier who had heard J.D. perform it live at a concert put on for him during a state visit here back in the 70's.
This is the Anthem of West Virginia, John Denver performed this song at halftime of a West Virginia University football game back in 1980 and now we play it after every home football game and all 70,000 fans stay and sing along!
The legacy of John Denver, especially this song, lives on. Check out some youtube videos with West Virginia football fans singing this together at the end of football games. What a songwriter and vocalist John was.
Great man, Mr. Denver. When I was in elementary school back in the 80s, my class put together a list of questions for him and sent it off. Rather than sending us back a form letter, or even a correspondence of some sort written by a publicist or an employee, he recorded himself standing in front of his personal plane on a windy day, reading our questions and answering each and every one of them. He sent the VHS tape to my class, and we watched it together in absolute delight. He's held a special place in my heart ever since.
John was country folk genre that includes Jim Croce, Harry Chaplin, Cat Stevens and Carole King. These are legendary poets who put their art to music. Im sure you’ve heard their songs too. John and Jim died in plane crashes, Harry in car crash. Only the good die young. Thankfully, Carole and Cat are still with us. I hope you check them out. It’s a “feel good” genre.
I came home to WV on leave from the military in 1971 when this song was on the charts. I got to spend 30 days with family after being overseas for 2 years. Hearing this song then broke my heart, especially knowing I had to go back for another year before my enlistment was up. I was raised running those country roads and everything was rapidly changing, experiencing other parts of the world made me miss the country life so much, but I wanted to get back to my new family (those guys I served with) too. This was over 50 years ago, but the memories are still strong.
John Denver sang Folk. That being said, every station played his music, no matter the genre. I learned young from this song to never regret leaving the country...I stayed, and I've never been more grateful.
I was going through infantry training at Ft. Jackson during the Viet Nam war when this song came out. On some evenings when we weren't training and this song would play on the radio all of us and especially the guys from West Virginia would get very homesick, especially not knowing what the future held for us. And after all these many years I still get that sad and lonely feeling when I hear this song.
@@michaelasay8587 he was put into the Country genre but he had a heavy Folk influence. That's where his roots were. He sang in a Folk group. He was in the " new" Country.
Begging to differ, JD is a FOLK SINGER, not Country, not Western. I nominate the next song “Calypso”, JDs nod to undersea icon Jaques Cousteau. He got his break when Peter, Paul, and Mary covered his folk song, Leaning On A Jet Plane, in the late ‘60s
he was a folk singer, but he won the ACM for album of the year in 1974. And in 1975 he had the CMA song of the year and was the CMA Entertainer of the Year.
@@ffjsb Except that gender fluidity is not a thing. It's just brainwashing at the hands of the Marxists who run everything. Young people now believe all kinds of horseshit, poor little fuckers...
John Denver was into several genres - Folk, Country, and Pop. Great rabbit hole to dive into. Check out these songs by John: "Annie's Song", "Leaving on a Jet Plane", ""Sunshine on my Shoulders", "Rocky Mountain High", and "Fly Away" ( a duet with Olivia Newton John ).
Yes, all of those are great. I particularly like Annie's Song. I really like the interview with Annie after John's death where they play that song. She actually mentions another song as her favorite (not Annie's Song). John Denver was a real all-time great. Gone too soon.
Bit of history: CCR's "Up Around the Bend" came out in April 1970." JD's "Country Roads" came out in April 1971. During that year, replacements for casualties at Dak To, Khe Sanh and Tet were finishing their one-year tours in Vietnam and coming home. The news from the World was pretty grim, and a lot of us dreamed of going somewhere quiet and remote and never leaving. These two songs were like anthems.
This song always brings a tear to my eye. As a person who grew up in the country, and now living in the big city, I miss home so much. Hopefully I'll be retiring soon and will move back to the country. There's no better life.
Others have said it, but I'll just echo them. Annie's Song. You have to hear that one. One of the most beautiful songs ever written, sung, and recorded.
Momma Cass, From the "mommas and the poppas" sang.back up and harmonies on many of Johns songs! They were good friends! their voices seemed perfect with each other the way that the sounds blended perfectly when they sang!!! Just hearing them is like your own little slice of heaven, here on earth!. Just listen!!!......
Not Mama Cass. Taffy Nivert sang back up for John in the early days along with her then husband Bill Danoff. Bill, John and Taffy co-wrote this song. John and Mamma Cass did sing together once, live on TV.
My grandmother would sing this when I went to the grocery store with her when I was a little boy. We would take scenic roads to and from. My fondest memories are of a little French woman with a strong accent singing this to me. She’s 95 now, but sadly, doesn’t remember much anymore. But this song really brings back the grandmother I remember best! Thanks for the reaction and sparking those memories again for me!
@Asia and BJ- John Denver was one of the best to ever do it. Great singer and songwriter. Take me home, Country roads is just one of many of his great songs. Two more of his that I recommend you react to is Leaving on a jetplane and Back Home Again.
West Virginia mountain mama here. His lyrics to Country Roads, of my state, spot on., John Denver always captured the true picture in all his work. So much talent and hits.
He's more of a folk rock/country mix than straight country. Many great songs-Annie's Song is probably his most famous but Leaving on a Jet Plane (there's a great clip out there of him performing it along with Cass Elliott), Calypso, Rocky Mountain High and Sunshine On My Shoulders are all excellent pieces of music as well. Unfortunately he died in his early 50's when the small plane he was piloting crashed into a lake.
Got to see him live in the early 80s in what they call the round where he sat in the center of the venue just him and his acoustic guitars I think he had four of them and one was a 12 string and his stage turned around and around so he faced the whole audience again and again as he played and sang it was one of the greatest concerts that I've been to and I've been to a lot of them
On September 6, 1980 the new Mountaineer Stadium was dedicated. John Denver was there and led 50 thousand plus fans in belting this song out. It's been a tradition ever since. Although it's known that Johnn Denver did not have West Virginia in mind originally, he said that at some point in writing the song he found West Virginia just fit the line.
Song has depth that not everyone gets. My late father grew up in WV, beautiful but dirt-poor, cruelly devastated by coal mining. Underlying it all is a hard-used mother ("Miner's lady") in a place where the water was polluted yellow from coal mining ("stranger to blue water"). One can try to return, hoping today is not too late.
He wrote a song for his wife called, Annie's Song. It's definitely a love song. He also wrote a song for a movie called, My sweet lady. It was a movie about a singer song writer and his wife was dying of cancer. It's his one sad song. If you saw the movie it was very sad and touching.
@@elevenbucks5682 - We lived in Roswell for 5 years when my Father ran a test facility for Borg Warner in the early 70s. It was very cool. I have wanted to get back there for the last 50 years. Very cool if you live there. It was awesome when we were there. I wish we could have stayed there to be honest. I am a John Denver fan, but I never knew that he was born there. I guess you learn something new every day. Thanks for that.
@@elevenbucks5682 - I completely believe it, I am always seeing things about alien parades and alien themed restaurants there now. That UFO story became big business I guess. My folks tell me that aliens was not even on the radar when we lived there. (at least not little green ones. lol) I was really young, so I honestly don't recall that to be honest with you. My folks recently moved to Deming NM, so I intend to drive there when I go to visit after all of this covid stuff blows over.
@@jimclark1131 I think the ufo story emerged again in 84 ? I had 4 siblings all born in Roswell and I would have been too if we had moved a few months sooner. I lived there when I was young and have great memories. Funny story, there was a business on main street that had an eight foot fiberglass ufo as part of their sign. On a windy day the ufo blew off the sign and they put it behind the biz, a few days later some guys stole it and headed west. A few miles down the highway it flew out of their truck and landed in the ditch and needless to say someone saw it and soon there were dozens of reports that another ufo had landed.
I absolutely love this song. I'm from West Virginia and this song is our anthem. Only those who have been here can really appreciate it and it's magnificence!! 😊🤠
Drove through the Appalachians in W. Virginia one time on the way to Myrtle Beach from Canada. Was both amazed by the beauty but nervous driving on those long uphill and downhill stretches. Had never seen a runaway truck ramp before.
I just checked out the top 40 radio charts for August 1971 when this song peaked at #2... just behind the Bee Gees, with stars like Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Creedence Clearwater Revival... and Donnie Osmond in the Top Ten. We listened to anything back then as long it was good, the genre didn't matter.
This song has popped up in various culture references. Perhaps you saw the Kingsman movie where a main character sings it before activating a land mine he was standing on.
This song brings back so many memories. I grew up in a family of migrant workers. We traveled from state to state picking whatever fruit or vegetable was in season. But we always came back home to Louisiana. As we got closer and closer to home, my sister, brother and I would sing this song, replacing West Virginia with Louisiana. We sang until we crossed the Louisiana state line.
John Denver had such a unique voice, another one gone way too soon. My sister-in-law was from WV and loved this song. I think it is the state song of West Virginia. WV is a beautiful state.
100% totally agree with both of you. My dad was in the service and my family moved alot. This song reminds me of our family vacations to see grand parents, aunts and uncles, and my cousins back in Wyoming!!! Now when I hear this it reminds me of those times plus my early childhood elementary school in Kansas enjoying the simple times playing as a kid. I made an early family video covering that time in the 1970s with this song as primary catalyst for warmth nostalgia.
This song reminds me of home from yesterday. " His other songs "Annie's Song" I'm Sorry " "Thank God I'm A Country Boy "Leaving On A Jet Plane" are worth a listen. Keep up the excellent work.
Hey BJ! If you're a "country boy at heart," then you gotta check out John Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy!" It's an upbeat, fun, foot-stomper that I was introduced to in 8th grade science class (Mr. Capozolli) by a bib-overall-wearing Martin Smith. A couple shouts-out there!
Makes you want to visit W.Virginia, sadly he died in a single plane crash. Over the ocean, he forget to check how much fuel he had. A wonderful singer.
I love this song. I grew up in the country until I went to university and now live in the city. I miss the country so bad. I listen to this song at least 2 or 3 times a week. My family's farm is still in the family and I try to visit every chance I get. Thanks for the review.
Check out John Denver`s-"Annie`s Song".. Beautiful. Also, for the millionth time...Hall & Oates-"Sara Smile"; Steve Perry-"Foolish Heart"; Ambrosia-"How Much I Feel". "You`re The Only Woman", & "You`re The Biggest Part Of Me" (3 great songs)..& Christopher Cross-"Sailing"; Mr. Mister-"Broken Wings". You watched a lot of Steve Perry, & Hall & Oates...but you missed 2 of the nicest songs ever.
John Denver was big in the 70s - his songs were simple and nice - took me back to my kids days with mine hillbilly family all the great times spent with them during the summer
This one brings back some good childhood memories. John Denver joined my family for an evening meal at our home back in the 80's, introduced through a mutual friend. A peaceful soul who left us too early. The phenomenal a cappella group Home Free created an wonderful cover of this classic.
I’ve been hearing this song most of my life & I’ve never gotten tired of hearing it….I used to work in WVA & lived there for about 6 months,my in-laws live there,I live in MD about 20 minutes SE…..🖤y’all stay safe
Hey y’all, I can’t listen to this song without breaking down in tears! My Momma was born in a VERY small town in WV. Growing up definitely my most favorite place on earth! The closest place to Heaven on earth is right on the huge wrap around porch at the base of the beautiful mountains!
Hi guys! I love John Denver, he's definitely an Icon. If you want to hear a great cover of this song just listen to Home Free doing Country Roads. I think you'll really appreciate it.
Misty Taste the Moonshine, Teardrops in My Eye The song was written in western Maryland, and geographically, the lyrics describe north-western Virginia. West Virginia however has the right number of syllables to fit in lyrically.
Don't like much country music because I don't find memorable melodies that often. John Denver definitely brings the melodies, not only vocally, but great banjo & steel guitar parts. Love it!
