Get exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/andyandalex It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee! What John Denver song do we hit next?! 🔥🤠
Having heard this and "Rocky Mountain High", and I think you previously said that you've heard "Take Me, Home Country Roads", IMO, you've already heard his 3 best songs. I'd say that "Sunshine on My Shoulders" is best of the rest of his songs, so I recommend that one next.
Lots of folks get all sappy and sentimental as they get old. I remember my grandma was charmed by ole Johnny D back in the day. She would be about 120 years old if she were alive today btw
Growing up in the 70s, there was a lot of new music genres to choose from - soft rock, hard rock, metal, disco, punk, new wave. I ended up on the punk/new wave side of things, but I appreciate JD, the Carpenters, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, Fleetwood Mac, etc.
@@edvonblue There's another way to look at this, other than people getting sappy and sentimental as they get older. When I was younger, I thought that it was somehow "uncool" to like John Denver's music, because so many hipsters and rock critics hated him. Now that I'm older, I don't care about being "cool" anymore, which is freeing, and I love his music.
One of the most beautiful songs ever written. John took a lot of criticism for his music and image but the guy was an amazing songwriter and human being. R.I.P. John
True story:I’m in the plumbing aisle at Home Depot and wind up next to a long-haired, metal head biker-looking guy in a worn leather jacket and Slayer T-shirt. We’re both scouring the bins when this song comes on over the in-store speakers. I start humming… he starts humming….I start singing along quietly….he starts singing louder…knew every word. We look at each other…I say “ good is good…John can just sing”. He gives me the thumbs up and says “fking right he can”. Then we go our separate ways. Music unites us all.
you're so right. As a kid, I loved his music. For many decades, I've been resistant to it. And my cynical side still pushes back. And that may be intertwined with experiences from my parent's lives. But the song itself is truly earnest and wonderful.
When I need a break from relentless prog rock and jazz fusion, I love listening to artists like John Denver and Gordon Lightfoot. The world misses John Denver's soul.
@@DanielOrion74 Correct about Gordon and there are so many people out there who are not familiar with him other than hits like Sundown and a few others ., you know what I mean ............. Peace and love
John Denver was a huge star back in the day. On the radio, TV & movies. His music is especially beautiful, filled with poetic lyrics and soothing harmonies & melodies. I always get goosebumps listening to him.
His good songs are fantastic.....but his bad songs......I don't remember the name of it, but it's on most of his greatest hits compilations, and it's literally about rainbow children and hippie dippie bullshit. I can't believe the same man wrote it...
Written on the ski lift in Aspen in about 10 minutes, after he & his wife (Annie) had gotten through some rough times, just to reiterate to her how much she meant to him. How could a love song ever get much better?
This was written for his wife; he wasn’t just trying to get laid. Although, if he were simply trying to get laid, he struck gold. I imagine this song made Annie melt in his arms.
OK, so I am a 50 year old dude and you guys quite often bring me to tears, not of laughter because you are funny because of course you are (in a good way) but because you are so young and actually appreciate music like you do. And the way you express that appreciation is so beyond your years. Keep listening and keep loving music the way you do...I wish everyone under the age of 35 was as astute and in tune to what music does for the soul as you guys!
John Denver was my Moms favorite. She died in 75 when I was 11. ‘Casey’s Last Ride’, a cover he did of a Kris Kristofferson song was her fave. I know every word of every song he did pre late 70s. It was only about 3-4 years ago I could listen to him again. He’s just so so talented. RIP John Denver and Flossie❤
Aw Liza. Music is so powerful… takes us right back. I love my dad’s favourite singer and listening just takes me right back to an age and time in my life I can never recreate again. It is a blessing. But like you, i have to be selective when to listen, it is so powerful. So glad you can bear his beautiful music once again. My dad and i became estranged and i am so thankful for the music now. It brings me back to him in the best of ways. Back to childhood and simpler times now gone except for memories…
@@DreamsSketcher When I hear, “You fill up my senses…” I see Flossie with her arms outstretched like a bird, dancing and singing along with him. I remember the apron she was wearing! So grateful and feeling blessed by you.
@@Lightmane Honestly…it’s one of the reasons I enjoy Alex and Andy so much, it’s all the feels of nostalgia and the people I was with and the places I was when this song or that song was playing, sometimes it’s melancholic but its always awesome in the end. Like all of you are. Many thanks
I love the fact that you guys can appreciate a song that is beautiful and heartfelt as much as you appreciate a banger. For your next John Denver song, I would suggest "Calypso". Calypso was the name of Jacque Cousteau's ship and is a celebration of the world's oceans and nature in general.
The biggest wedding song in the ‘70’s wasn’t this but “We’ve Only Just Begun” by the Carpenters. Which you should give a listen to next time you do this style of music…simply impeccable.
He is one of the most lauded songwriters of the 20th century, winning numerous awards and also inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. How is he underrated?
This always brings tears to my eyes. Not just because of the lyrics and gorgeous vocals but because this brilliant musician is no longer with us. Up there with Karen Carpenter as a truly great voice. And in John's case a songwriter He wrote this after a big row with his wife, Annie. John went skiing and wrote this during the skiing as the most perfect apology a man could give. Hence the references to "fill up my senses like a night in a forest". The guy was simply peerless
A&A, you’ll love his "Take Me Home, Country Roads", “Sunshine On My Shoulders” and "Thank God I'm a Country Boy"!!!! One of the purest voices you’ll ever hear. A great singer/songwriter and guitarist. Colorado has his "Rocky Mountain High" as one of its two state songs. West Virginia’s state song is his "Take Me Home, Country Roads”.
I say this in all sincerity: This song is like Bach or Mozart or Beethoven. It will live on long, long after we are all gone. It is a timeless, gorgeous melody and just so immaculately written with an underlying theme of encompassing love that anyone can relate to.
Listen to the horn solo on Tchaikovsky symphony 5 and you’ll see why it has that classical feel. His use of that theme apparently was not purposeful and it doesn’t really matter. He made perfect use of it and I love it
If you want more John Denver in this vein, "Sunshine on My Shoulders" is my favorite. In more of mid-tempo/"Rocky Mountain High" vein, "Calypso" should be next. Both give me the chills to this day.
He re-recorded Sunshine on My Shoulders and other songs for the '73 Greatest Hits album -- normally this is heresy, but those versions are better and definitive, per the liner notes by John himself.
Denver’s lyrics in this song are insanely sensual. Not in a sexy way, but comparing your love of someone to being in the forest at nighttime, the mountains in the spring, a storm in the desert…. If you’ve experienced any of the similes he uses in a deep way-truly been present in that space at that time-you know how absolutely in love he was with Annie. Phenomenal songwriting. And the nuance in his singing, the clarity and the perfect pitch. So very sad he’s gone. RIP John.
Absolutely genius of him to compare the love he has for his wife to the overpowering and sensually overloading beauty that encompasses the natural world all around us. I'm amazed that I don't think I've heard a song done in that vein before or since, making this a very unique song on top of its incredible melody, instruments, production, singing, and lyrics
He didn't just say I love you, he painted very vivid pictures with the lyrics to show us what and how he felt. It was almost like he was a music genre unto himself. I don't remember anyone like him before or since.
Wow, you two were so enamored with this, one of the greatest love songs ever, that you forgot to rate it. That's okay, because everyone already knows it's an "S" tier song. No question. When the word "magical" is used to describe a song, the song is almost always musical perfection, like Annie's Song, which John wrote, in a play to get back on his wife's good side. He was a beloved singer/songwriter, but he could also be a naughty boy.
It's funny, because it's not my favorite of his songs... but I can't argue with the assertion that it may be his best, the most quintessential John Denver song. (Don't get me wrong, I do love it! Just for me personally, there's a couple of other songs I love a little more -- Rocky Mountain High in first place.)
At the lowest point in my life while my mom was dying she asked me to come lay down next to her and hold her. She then sang me Annie’s song and she sang it beautifully. I didn’t even know she listened to John Denver (never mind knowing all the words). That was 2 yrs ago and it still seems like yesterday. Thank you guys for choosing to cover this song .
I loved John Denver. Some of my first albums were John Denver. Parents loved his wholesomeness and beautiful voice and lyrics. I was so shocked when I heard he died. No auto tune. No fancy warbling, just pure talent. I have to laugh because the guy on the left nods in time with the music and the guy on the right looks like he’s listening to something totally different….
When I was young I hated everything “soft”, just because it wasn’t Aerosmith, Led Zep, Floyd, etc. As I got older I started to go back to artists like John Denver and many many others and I discovered how much GREAT music that I just never gave a chance. And I can now confess, when I have this song playing in the car, I sing it at the top of my lungs.
That put a smile on my face, imaging an ol’rocker smiling and belting out John Denver! I’ve done this plenty of times myself… I especially like driving along and singing Country Roads while driving on the road the writers were on when then wrote the song (in Maryland actually).
RHYIMES AND REASONS, while not one of his major Hits, John Denver said it in concert that it was one of his favorites when he asked the audience for requests.
It makes my heart happy to hear your appreciation of this folk/pop classic. Back in the AM radio days when the same station could play JD and then follow with Stones, Zeppelin, BTO, then back to Gordon Lightfoot and the Pointer Sisters. I miss those days. We were so blessed.
When you know the history of this song, it means even more. Separated from his wife Ann, riding a ski lift, wrote this song in about 12 mts time because he was reflecting on his love for her. It is beautiful and his voice is like magic. Just pure love coming out and back when there was not as much artificial enhancement as we find these days.
John Denver was one of my favorites and I was lucky enough to see him live a couple of times. I was not prepared for the emotional reaction I had to hearing this today. "Poems, Prayers and Promises" and "I Guess He'd Rather be in Colorado" are some good ones.
My heart broke when I heard he died. I didn’t get over it for a long time. I’m still not over it really. Every time I hear his voice, it hits me all over again.
As a teenager I didn't dislike this song but I kinda dismissed it. As an adult I realize that these are some of the most romantic lyrics ever since written. Each thing that he compares the feeling that he gets from her love is a sensory image. A night in a forest, mountains in spring time, a walk in the rain, a storm in the desert, the sleepy blue ocean, vivid images that you can imagine being immersed in.
Loved John Denver! I was shocked in October of 1997 when I heard he died, and then in November another of my favorites died, Michael Hutchence of INXS. Sad year😥
John was awesome - so fun - so personable. That's why he got TV shows every year, Christmas Specials and otherwise. Movies too - he was very fun. And I'm sure his real neighbors loved him. lol There are lots of clips of him on here.
I was a lonely teen when this came out, but the sound made me forget and carried me off into a romantic nirvana. Still been lonely, but this song is perfection. Some have "a way with words", he had a way with both words and music. RIP. This was my favorite of his. "Sunshine on My Shoulders" next please.
This song came out in '74. I started dating the love of my young life in Feb of '78. Her name was Annie. We almost got married in '84 but it didn't work out. We remained close friends until she passed away in 2019. This song hits always hard in a beautiful way.
As a kid my parents took me to his concert in Fort Worth in the late 70's. He sounded just like he did on the radio and album's on my dads Marantz stereo. His voice and style just put him into a unique niche and as I get older I appreciate his songs even more.
John Denver was one of the most talented and prolific singer/songwriters of our time. Also, a big shout out to his producer Milt Okun who brought out the magic of Johns voice and guitar with beautiful and sometimes subtle orchestration arrangements behind it all. An unheralded genius supporting another genius... and this is what we get.
I remember when this song was released as it got TONS of air time on the radio.....and it was one of those songs that you would sing along if you knew the lyrics...or would hum to if you didnt. A song that makes you feel nostalgic and at the same time making you want to feel the way he is feeling when he wrote this. A song that can make your eyes water.
Perfect vocals by John. So much beauty in the simplicity. Chorus, very, bridge, chorus. 27 lines, 145 words. Catches you instantly with the first line "you fill up my senses"
If memory serves, Annie was his wife and he wrote it for her, so the love that is powering this song was 100%. Later on, their marriage didn't last but while it did, it was a love that fueled us all.
What also makes this song is the awesome choice of instruments. From a simple guitar, to mandolins, to oboe, strings, flute, even maracas. And the 3/4 time is suitable for waltzing around the kitchen. Sublime!
Critics back in the 1970s loved to make fun of people who made beautiful, enjoyable, and harmonious music. John Denver, ABBA, Manilow, Carpenters. Even Bread got labeled "soft rock," despite the fact that they could rock as hard as many other groups when they wanted to. There was (and is) definitely something disparaging in that term. And what a simply gorgeous arrangement! Milt Okun was the perfect producer for John. What a team. John and Gordon Lightfoot were two of the greatest songwriters of their era. When the news came that John had died, it hit so many people harder than they ever would have expected. His love and caring for the Earth meant so much to many of us, and the tragic loss of his artistic gifts was devastating. When some of your favorite artists pass, you get sad for a few days or weeks. John's death clung with a lot of us for a long time and still remains.
I think his best song is This Old Guitar, a song about how all the great things that came into his life -- his friends, his wife, the chance to play music to an audience -- came from a single guitar given to him by his grandmother. It's a 3 minute musical equivalent of someone seeing their entire life all coming together in an epiphany.
One of THE most beautiful songs ever written. The most beautiful aspect in life captured for those lucky enough to experience it. (I hope you all do). I have and still do with the same person after 36 years. Wonderful man. I have often thought this song was the one I’d want to hear on my deathbed. It just encapsulates the best in my life -the joy. The incredible exquisiteness of life. Of being alive and in love and loved. What a wonder! So glad you guys covered this song and you enjoyed it. Appreciate it. Denver was a pure talent. His televised Wildlife Concert in 1995 was impeccable. Did it all. I highly recommend watching and reacting to that in your Patreon.
There is a story of two girls in an elevator and this song was playing. The younger girl ask the older if she knew who it was and the older said yes its John Denver he wrote it for me!
When I was young, I used to use the John Denver In Concert album to calm down and regroup. I did see him in concert once and he was amazing. No overt "showmanship" or tricks, just standing on stage in Madison Square Garden with his band holding a stadium audience in the palm of his hand. Absolute silence except for appause and the crowd singing every song with him. I find Annie's song to have the most amazing imagery of any song I can think of. He would slide between genres, going mainstream or country sometimes with the same song depending on the audience and venue. As far as songs, best known is probably "Take me Home, Country Roads", which is a great sing-along song. My son's favorite was alway a very short song not well known "The Eagle and the Hawk" because he likes intense music with a driving beat (unusual in John Denver music.) Calypso is a later song in honor and about the boat and work of sea explorer Jaques Cousteau. The introspective song, Poems Prayers and Promises is a geat song with a ton to unpack in the lyrics while being so casual in delivery. There are so many others. He was an amazing talent.
That's probably my favorite album of all time. In the internet game of "tell me a book, a film, and an album that someone needs to know to understand you", "An Evening With John Denver" is my answer for the album.
I used this at my first wedding in 1979. John Denver was my favorite male solo artist and my spiritual teacher through his music. He got me through a lot of homesickness in my teen years being away from my Rocky Mountains. I say him in concert twice, both times up close. When he died I was devastated. I went to his memorial service in Denver. I was avoiding this video because I knew I would cry! I am so very glad you love his music. One of my very favorites of his is "The Wings That Fly Us Home" from the Spirit album.
This guy was so so special!! Great voice, great songwriter and great guitarist. I was 16 years old when this reached number 1 in the UK and 49 years later it still evokes such strong emotion. Beautiful song and great reaction guys to one of the greats. Thank you!
You guys are awesome. I'm 64 years old. Played in several bands. When I was in highschool, I could never admit that I dug John Denver. Wasn't cool. As an adult, I don't give a damn. Stunning music/heartfelt. Also, you guys crack me up!
Next for John Denver: "Fly Away, "Calypso", "Follow Me". "Poems, Prayers and Promises".... all good ones! Back in college my friends and I use to put a cassette tape in the car and drive around belting out John Denver songs. Definitely the good old days..... Btw: Annie was his wife
John Denver deserves this kind of attention. You guys are so good to include a guy that was competing with an enormous array of music back in the day. I didn't pay much attention to him back then and appreciate him now.
John Denver's legal name was Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. His uncle was a teacher at my high school in Newton Kansas. He tried to get him to play at our school but they could never arrange it. This was around 1977 or 1978.
Get exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/andyandalex It's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee!
What John Denver song do we hit next?! 🔥🤠
Shouldn't this be locked at the top of the comments?
Poems, Prayers & Promises
Having heard this and "Rocky Mountain High", and I think you previously said that you've heard "Take Me, Home Country Roads", IMO, you've already heard his 3 best songs. I'd say that "Sunshine on My Shoulders" is best of the rest of his songs, so I recommend that one next.
Looking for space
Sunshine On My Shoulders is a beautiful song.
AS a young person I used to think John Denver's songs were silly. As a more mature adult, I find his music beautiful and very moving.
Lots of folks get all sappy and sentimental as they get old. I remember my grandma was charmed by ole Johnny D back in the day. She would be about 120 years old if she were alive today btw
Same. Thought he was hokey in high school, but appreciate him now!
Growing up in the 70s, there was a lot of new music genres to choose from - soft rock, hard rock, metal, disco, punk, new wave. I ended up on the punk/new wave side of things, but I appreciate JD, the Carpenters, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, Fleetwood Mac, etc.
Same here, now they just make me cry.
@@edvonblue There's another way to look at this, other than people getting sappy and sentimental as they get older. When I was younger, I thought that it was somehow "uncool" to like John Denver's music, because so many hipsters and rock critics hated him. Now that I'm older, I don't care about being "cool" anymore, which is freeing, and I love his music.
One of the most beautiful songs ever written. John took a lot of criticism for his music and image but the guy was an amazing songwriter and human being. R.I.P. John
True story:I’m in the plumbing aisle at Home Depot and wind up next to a long-haired, metal head biker-looking guy in a worn leather jacket and Slayer T-shirt. We’re both scouring the bins when this song comes on over the in-store speakers. I start humming… he starts humming….I start singing along quietly….he starts singing louder…knew every word. We look at each other…I say “ good is good…John can just sing”. He gives me the thumbs up and says “fking right he can”. Then we go our separate ways. Music unites us all.
Loved reading your comment!!!! Thanks, it made my day 🙂
Awesome story, love that
I love it!! 😂
things that never happened
Don't turn something good to something bad.@@christopherone1
Songs like this make you miss how earnest music can be. No hint of cynicism, sarcasm, or irony. Just earnest beauty.
Well said!
So true. And how heartfelt music used to be.
you're so right. As a kid, I loved his music. For many decades, I've been resistant to it. And my cynical side still pushes back. And that may be intertwined with experiences from my parent's lives. But the song itself is truly earnest and wonderful.
When I need a break from relentless prog rock and jazz fusion, I love listening to artists like John Denver and Gordon Lightfoot. The world misses John Denver's soul.
Totally, and the soul shone like the brightest of lights through his music
And Nick Drake.
Props for mentioning Gordon. What a legend.
@@DanielOrion74 Correct about Gordon and there are so many people out there who are not familiar with him other than hits like Sundown and a few others ., you know what I mean ............. Peace and love
Spine-tingling vocal delivery, never fails to produce chills regardless of how many times you've heard this.
The way he effortlessly extends the phrases and even raises the stakes ...just glorious.
Makes me cry everytime!
@@kathynicholson103 Me too.
Yes!
Amen.
John Denver was a huge star back in the day. On the radio, TV & movies. His music is especially beautiful, filled with poetic lyrics and soothing harmonies & melodies. I always get goosebumps listening to him.
His good songs are fantastic.....but his bad songs......I don't remember the name of it, but it's on most of his greatest hits compilations,
and it's literally about rainbow children and hippie dippie bullshit. I can't believe the same man wrote it...
One of the most beautiful songs ever written
oh yes!!
Hands down ❤. Imagine someone wrote this for you.
Written on the ski lift in Aspen in about 10 minutes, after he & his wife (Annie) had gotten through some rough times, just to reiterate to her how much she meant to him. How could a love song ever get much better?
except they still got divorced
@@mitchgriffin2150 cynic
@@porculizador truth is not cynicism
@@mitchgriffin2150 your timing makes you a cynic
Probably sung at millions of weddings for the first bride and groom dance in the 70’s and 80’s.
This was written for his wife; he wasn’t just trying to get laid. Although, if he were simply trying to get laid, he struck gold. I imagine this song made Annie melt in his arms.
Apparently written in 12 minutes following an argument while skiing.
She divorced him so it didn’t work that well…🙄
Who’s to say?
@@michaelcapewell4811 her loss
@@jld593 i guess the alimony would’ve softened the blow 🤔 but how do you know? He may have been intolerable to live with 🤷♂️
OK, so I am a 50 year old dude and you guys quite often bring me to tears, not of laughter because you are funny because of course you are (in a good way) but because you are so young and actually appreciate music like you do. And the way you express that appreciation is so beyond your years. Keep listening and keep loving music the way you do...I wish everyone under the age of 35 was as astute and in tune to what music does for the soul as you guys!
John Denver was my Moms favorite. She died in 75 when I was 11. ‘Casey’s Last Ride’, a cover he did of a Kris Kristofferson song was her fave. I know every word of every song he did pre late 70s. It was only about 3-4 years ago I could listen to him again.
He’s just so so talented. RIP John Denver and Flossie❤
Aw Liza. Music is so powerful… takes us right back. I love my dad’s favourite singer and listening just takes me right back to an age and time in my life I can never recreate again. It is a blessing. But like you, i have to be selective when to listen, it is so powerful. So glad you can bear his beautiful music once again. My dad and i became estranged and i am so thankful for the music now. It brings me back to him in the best of ways. Back to childhood and simpler times now gone except for memories…
@@DreamsSketcher When I hear, “You fill up my senses…” I see Flossie with her arms outstretched like a bird, dancing and singing along with him. I remember the apron she was wearing!
So grateful and feeling blessed by you.
Bless you! I cannot imagine losing my mama as a child. I was 59 when mine died and I still cry a lot. 💔
I don't know how you got through that. I hurt inside when I read your words, but thank you for sharing that here.
@@Lightmane Honestly…it’s one of the reasons I enjoy Alex and Andy so much, it’s all the feels of nostalgia and the people I was with and the places I was when this song or that song was playing, sometimes it’s melancholic but its always awesome in the end. Like all of you are. Many thanks
I love the fact that you guys can appreciate a song that is beautiful and heartfelt as much as you appreciate a banger. For your next John Denver song, I would suggest "Calypso". Calypso was the name of Jacque Cousteau's ship and is a celebration of the world's oceans and nature in general.
My vote for Calypso
That's a good one.
One of his best. I'm pretty sure they won't know Jacque Cousteau is, LOL!
I am in..awesome song
I agree, Calypso will take you there!
The biggest wedding song in the ‘70’s wasn’t this but “We’ve Only Just Begun” by the Carpenters. Which you should give a listen to next time you do this style of music…simply impeccable.
Yup! I was one of those brides...
In the later ‘70’s it was either Just The Way You Are or Longer by Dan Fogelberg!
Karen Carpenter's voice is unmatched! Just incredible.
And the halls of graduating classes everywhere. We sang it at our 6th grade graduation concert for our parents in 1973.
Another popular one was The Wedding Song by Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul, and Mary. I remember that one from most of my friends’ weddings.
John Denver is the most underrated songwriter in American history.
i concur
John Denver is defiantly not underrated in my book.
@@Ellenred5257 Disagree. No matter how much credit you give him, he deserves more.
That would be Warren Zevon. Or Nick Lowe, if you allow Brits a part in our history.
He is one of the most lauded songwriters of the 20th century, winning numerous awards and also inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. How is he underrated?
Never been into John Denver but still he has 3-4 songs that gives me goosebumps everytime I hear them,
This always brings tears to my eyes. Not just because of the lyrics and gorgeous vocals but because this brilliant musician is no longer with us. Up there with Karen Carpenter as a truly great voice. And in John's case a songwriter
He wrote this after a big row with his wife, Annie. John went skiing and wrote this during the skiing as the most perfect apology a man could give. Hence the references to "fill up my senses like a night in a forest". The guy was simply peerless
Me too, every time!
Apparently he didn't put her name in the lyrics so it would have a more universal appeal.
Karen is a great comparison. it's the feeling of effortless that makes it so great. Linda Rondstadt too.
@@frantz2000 I'd add Andy Williams - an older crooner, but he made it seem just as effortless.
@@frantz2000
Got to agree with Linda. Could sing anything and make it sound effortless. Which it was for her. Another naturally beautiful voice
A&A, you’ll love his "Take Me Home, Country Roads", “Sunshine On My Shoulders” and "Thank God I'm a Country Boy"!!!! One of the purest voices you’ll ever hear. A great singer/songwriter and guitarist.
Colorado has his "Rocky Mountain High" as one of its two state songs.
West Virginia’s state song is his "Take Me Home, Country Roads”.
The Eagle and the Hawk 🎶
For Bobby 🎶
There are so many.
Calypso is great too 👍
leaving on a jet plane is my favorite
Check out "Flying For Me" about the Challenger disaster
It's very comforting that two young guys appreciate the magic of this classic love song.
John's been gone 26yrs God rest his soul. Man did he love the Rocky Mountains. His music will never die.
Andy .....as a 57yr old woman who grew up with John, I love when you break that smile at 2.18 ....right on cue 🥰🥰
I say this in all sincerity: This song is like Bach or Mozart or Beethoven. It will live on long, long after we are all gone. It is a timeless, gorgeous melody and just so immaculately written with an underlying theme of encompassing love that anyone can relate to.
Listen to the horn solo on Tchaikovsky symphony 5 and you’ll see why it has that classical feel. His use of that theme apparently was not purposeful and it doesn’t really matter. He made perfect use of it and I love it
This vocal melody is so good, it doesn't even need the music - it could still slay as an acapella.
His song, 'Fly Away' a duet with Olivia Newton John is a hidden classic. Two awesome voices competing...worth a listen.
Another great duet of his is "Perhaps Love" with the renowned opera tenor/baritone Plácido Domingo.
Forgot about that one...good call
Beautiful duet. Olivia always added sonic gold to any song she showed up on.
If you want more John Denver in this vein, "Sunshine on My Shoulders" is my favorite. In more of mid-tempo/"Rocky Mountain High" vein, "Calypso" should be next. Both give me the chills to this day.
Calypso, all day. That and The Eagle and the Hawk.
Agree - absolutely LOVE, "Sunshine on My Shoulders"!
I love those, and Country Roads.
@@DanielOrion74 The Eagle and the Hawk was magical for me at the time!!
He re-recorded Sunshine on My Shoulders and other songs for the '73 Greatest Hits album -- normally this is heresy, but those versions are better and definitive, per the liner notes by John himself.
Denver’s lyrics in this song are insanely sensual. Not in a sexy way, but comparing your love of someone to being in the forest at nighttime, the mountains in the spring, a storm in the desert…. If you’ve experienced any of the similes he uses in a deep way-truly been present in that space at that time-you know how absolutely in love he was with Annie. Phenomenal songwriting. And the nuance in his singing, the clarity and the perfect pitch. So very sad he’s gone. RIP John.
Beautifully said!
@@MissAstorDancer Thank you.
Absolutely genius of him to compare the love he has for his wife to the overpowering and sensually overloading beauty that encompasses the natural world all around us. I'm amazed that I don't think I've heard a song done in that vein before or since, making this a very unique song on top of its incredible melody, instruments, production, singing, and lyrics
He didn't just say I love you, he painted very vivid pictures with the lyrics to show us what and how he felt. It was almost like he was a music genre unto himself. I don't remember anyone like him before or since.
Wow, you two were so enamored with this, one of the greatest love songs ever, that you forgot to rate it. That's okay, because everyone already knows it's an "S" tier song. No question. When the word "magical" is used to describe a song, the song is almost always musical perfection, like Annie's Song, which John wrote, in a play to get back on his wife's good side. He was a beloved singer/songwriter, but he could also be a naughty boy.
Yes indeed, we already know and concur, "S".
@@Vaelsung1 Yes! S for sure!
YeSSSSSS
Can anyone tell me what S stands for?
@@jokerswildio the highest rating on this channel.
I think this is his best song. It’s the full embodiment of romantic love. The lyrics, strings, his voice, it’s all on point.
It's funny, because it's not my favorite of his songs... but I can't argue with the assertion that it may be his best, the most quintessential John Denver song. (Don't get me wrong, I do love it! Just for me personally, there's a couple of other songs I love a little more -- Rocky Mountain High in first place.)
I challenge you on that; check out his live version of Sunshine (on my shoulders). The end is the very meaning of "less is more" (saxophone.)
Ps. Here's a link
th-cam.com/video/g5sbTHMP0Ig/w-d-xo.html
And ZERO autotune... Actual real talent
To be honest, for what this song is, it is damned near perfect. It still surprises me how brilliant it is. 💜
lyrically - love songs don't get any better than this...
At the lowest point in my life while my mom was dying she asked me to come lay down next to her and hold her. She then sang me Annie’s song and she sang it beautifully. I didn’t even know she listened to John Denver (never mind knowing all the words). That was 2 yrs ago and it still seems like yesterday. Thank you guys for choosing to cover this song .
How dear and sweetly loving. (Thanks John for giving us the words.)
I loved John Denver. Some of my first albums were John Denver. Parents loved his wholesomeness and beautiful voice and lyrics. I was so shocked when I heard he died. No auto tune. No fancy warbling, just pure talent. I have to laugh because the guy on the left nods in time with the music and the guy on the right looks like he’s listening to something totally different….
When I was young I hated everything “soft”, just because it wasn’t Aerosmith, Led Zep, Floyd, etc. As I got older I started to go back to artists like John Denver and many many others and I discovered how much GREAT music that I just never gave a chance.
And I can now confess, when I have this song playing in the car, I sing it at the top of my lungs.
Same.
That put a smile on my face, imaging an ol’rocker smiling and belting out John Denver! I’ve done this plenty of times myself… I especially like driving along and singing Country Roads while driving on the road the writers were on when then wrote the song (in Maryland actually).
RHYIMES AND REASONS, while not one of his major Hits, John Denver said it in concert that it was one of his favorites when he asked the audience for requests.
It makes my heart happy to hear your appreciation of this folk/pop classic. Back in the AM radio days when the same station could play JD and then follow with Stones, Zeppelin, BTO, then back to Gordon Lightfoot and the Pointer Sisters. I miss those days. We were so blessed.
When you know the history of this song, it means even more. Separated from his wife Ann, riding a ski lift, wrote this song in about 12 mts time because he was reflecting on his love for her. It is beautiful and his voice is like magic. Just pure love coming out and back when there was not as much artificial enhancement as we find these days.
John was the real deal, he wasn’t trying to impress anybody or be cool. He was just real
John Denver is a National treasure!
The "let me die in your arms" always makes me sob. Knowing he didn't.
I saw John Denver in concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater. Talk about a magical experience, it was “Far Out!”
"Take Me Home, Country Roads" and "Sunshine on my Shoulder" are reflective songs worth hearing. Denver is an American treasure.
**was, sadly. Thank God (pun intended) John existed, and thank God for recorded music!!! R.I.P., John! So many still miss you!
@@MissAstorDancer even though he's passed, it doesn't mean he isn't, still, a treasure. But, I get your gist.
I’m 54 and this song reminds me of my childhood.
He wrote that song for his first wife
Gone way, way, way too soon.
A true tragedy. A true legend.
John Denver was one of my favorites and I was lucky enough to see him live a couple of times. I was not prepared for the emotional reaction I had to hearing this today. "Poems, Prayers and Promises" and "I Guess He'd Rather be in Colorado" are some good ones.
I agree with both of those choices. Wish I'd been able to see him live. His music saved my sanity.
great picks!
I love He'd Rather Be in Colorado."
My heart broke when I heard he died. I didn’t get over it for a long time. I’m still not over it really. Every time I hear his voice, it hits me all over again.
As a teenager I didn't dislike this song but I kinda dismissed it. As an adult I realize that these are some of the most romantic lyrics ever since written. Each thing that he compares the feeling that he gets from her love is a sensory image. A night in a forest, mountains in spring time, a walk in the rain, a storm in the desert, the sleepy blue ocean, vivid images that you can imagine being immersed in.
Loved John Denver! I was shocked in October of 1997 when I heard he died, and then in November another of my favorites died, Michael Hutchence of INXS. Sad year😥
John knew how to express feeling in the truest, most raw form. Every song of his takes us someplace. A warm and comfortable place.
John was awesome - so fun - so personable. That's why he got TV shows every year, Christmas Specials and otherwise. Movies too - he was very fun. And I'm sure his real neighbors loved him. lol There are lots of clips of him on here.
I was a lonely teen when this came out, but the sound made me forget and carried me off into a romantic nirvana. Still been lonely, but this song is perfection. Some have "a way with words", he had a way with both words and music. RIP. This was my favorite of his. "Sunshine on My Shoulders" next please.
This song came out in '74. I started dating the love of my young life in Feb of '78. Her name was Annie. We almost got married in '84 but it didn't work out. We remained close friends until she passed away in 2019. This song hits always hard in a beautiful way.
As a kid my parents took me to his concert in Fort Worth in the late 70's. He sounded just like he did on the radio and album's on my dads Marantz stereo. His voice and style just put him into a unique niche and as I get older I appreciate his songs even more.
John Denver was one of the most talented and prolific singer/songwriters of our time. Also, a big shout out to his producer Milt Okun who brought out the magic of Johns voice and guitar with beautiful and sometimes subtle orchestration arrangements behind it all. An unheralded genius supporting another genius... and this is what we get.
My husband won my heart singing me this song with his guitar and other John Denver songs, Jim Croce, and others. Our love story was magical
When Ma passed away she had instructed us to honor her by just hanging out and playing her favorite songs, this was one of them.
I remember when this song was released as it got TONS of air time on the radio.....and it was one of those songs that you would sing along if you knew the lyrics...or would hum to if you didnt. A song that makes you feel nostalgic and at the same time making you want to feel the way he is feeling when he wrote this. A song that can make your eyes water.
Perfect vocals by John. So much beauty in the simplicity. Chorus, very, bridge, chorus. 27 lines, 145 words. Catches you instantly with the first line "you fill up my senses"
If memory serves, Annie was his wife and he wrote it for her, so the love that is powering this song was 100%. Later on, their marriage didn't last but while it did, it was a love that fueled us all.
I heard he couldn't kick the alcohol and that was too much for her after a while....just a rumor.
John Denver was so uncool back in the day but we were wrong. He was masterful and his songs are beautiful
Ha ha I just said out loud when I read this “are you serious?!” and clicked on it so fast
John Denver was popular beyond belief in the 70s.
He was also well known as an environmentalist, advocating for clean oceans.
What also makes this song is the awesome choice of instruments. From a simple guitar, to mandolins, to oboe, strings, flute, even maracas. And the 3/4 time is suitable for waltzing around the kitchen. Sublime!
Only a beautiful soul can create such other-level music.
Critics back in the 1970s loved to make fun of people who made beautiful, enjoyable, and harmonious music. John Denver, ABBA, Manilow, Carpenters. Even Bread got labeled "soft rock," despite the fact that they could rock as hard as many other groups when they wanted to. There was (and is) definitely something disparaging in that term. And what a simply gorgeous arrangement! Milt Okun was the perfect producer for John. What a team. John and Gordon Lightfoot were two of the greatest songwriters of their era.
When the news came that John had died, it hit so many people harder than they ever would have expected. His love and caring for the Earth meant so much to many of us, and the tragic loss of his artistic gifts was devastating. When some of your favorite artists pass, you get sad for a few days or weeks. John's death clung with a lot of us for a long time and still remains.
So beautiful it brings tears every time
I think his best song is This Old Guitar, a song about how all the great things that came into his life -- his friends, his wife, the chance to play music to an audience -- came from a single guitar given to him by his grandmother. It's a 3 minute musical equivalent of someone seeing their entire life all coming together in an epiphany.
It's another love song. Coz he loved the guitar.
John Denver was my first ever concert. I was in 6th grade and went with my parents. His music is timeless.
And John Denver's songs are all real not auto tuned like all music today.
You must see Calypso. Written when John was on Jaques Coustos ship The Calypso. So BEAUTIFUL!
One of THE most beautiful songs ever written. The most beautiful aspect in life captured for those lucky enough to experience it. (I hope you all do). I have and still do with the same person after 36 years. Wonderful man. I have often thought this song was the one I’d want to hear on my deathbed. It just encapsulates the best in my life -the joy. The incredible exquisiteness of life. Of being alive and in love and loved. What a wonder!
So glad you guys covered this song and you enjoyed it. Appreciate it. Denver was a pure talent.
His televised Wildlife Concert in 1995 was impeccable. Did it all. I highly recommend watching and reacting to that in your Patreon.
Genuine! That was Mr. Denver. That is why you guys feel it. L💞ve from Canada.
Romantic love songs are what this world is sadly lacking right now. Songwriters take note 😉
Amen!
There is a story of two girls in an elevator and this song was playing. The younger girl ask the older if she knew who it was and the older said yes its John Denver he wrote it for me!
When I was young, I used to use the John Denver In Concert album to calm down and regroup. I did see him in concert once and he was amazing. No overt "showmanship" or tricks, just standing on stage in Madison Square Garden with his band holding a stadium audience in the palm of his hand. Absolute silence except for appause and the crowd singing every song with him. I find Annie's song to have the most amazing imagery of any song I can think of. He would slide between genres, going mainstream or country sometimes with the same song depending on the audience and venue. As far as songs, best known is probably "Take me Home, Country Roads", which is a great sing-along song. My son's favorite was alway a very short song not well known "The Eagle and the Hawk" because he likes intense music with a driving beat (unusual in John Denver music.) Calypso is a later song in honor and about the boat and work of sea explorer Jaques Cousteau. The introspective song, Poems Prayers and Promises is a geat song with a ton to unpack in the lyrics while being so casual in delivery. There are so many others. He was an amazing talent.
That's probably my favorite album of all time. In the internet game of "tell me a book, a film, and an album that someone needs to know to understand you", "An Evening With John Denver" is my answer for the album.
I used this at my first wedding in 1979. John Denver was my favorite male solo artist and my spiritual teacher through his music. He got me through a lot of homesickness in my teen years being away from my Rocky Mountains. I say him in concert twice, both times up close. When he died I was devastated. I went to his memorial service in Denver. I was avoiding this video because I knew I would cry! I am so very glad you love his music. One of my very favorites of his is "The Wings That Fly Us Home" from the Spirit album.
This guy was so so special!! Great voice, great songwriter and great guitarist. I was 16 years old when this reached number 1 in the UK and 49 years later it still evokes such strong emotion. Beautiful song and great reaction guys to one of the greats. Thank you!
You guys are awesome. I'm 64 years old. Played in several bands. When I was in highschool, I could never admit that I dug John Denver. Wasn't cool. As an adult, I don't give a damn. Stunning music/heartfelt. Also, you guys crack me up!
Great review - next one do "Sunshine on my Shoulders". I love that one too
Calypso is a masterful composition about the ship that oceanographer Jacques Cousteau sailed the world on.
John Denver songs will make your heart swell and give you the best feelings possible. Just beautiful!
I grew up in West Virginia so you know I love JD. You surprised me by liking this so much. And you guys make me smile every single time.
Next for John Denver: "Fly Away, "Calypso", "Follow Me". "Poems, Prayers and Promises".... all good ones! Back in college my friends and I use to put a cassette tape in the car and drive around belting out John Denver songs. Definitely the good old days..... Btw: Annie was his wife
Another good song is "This Old Guitar"
Saw him at Universal Amphitheater at the time … left the crowd w these words: peace my friends ..
The music behind him is so delicate yet transports you away.
The title song from this album ("Back Home Again") is Americana at it's finest
What a gorgeous song. Great choice.
John Denver's songs touch your soul and stir your emotions and what's so crazy is he wrote it in 10 minutes!
John Denver deserves this kind of attention. You guys are so good to include a guy that was competing with an enormous array of music back in the day. I didn't pay much attention to him back then and appreciate him now.
DUDES! His voice is crystal and always so reliable!
CALYPSO
EAGLE AND HAWK
Thank God I’m a Country Boy!
I grew up in the 70s, and my mum played this all the time. As a child it used to transport me.
All his songs did!
Alex I think the word you were looking for to describe the strings is, scintillating!
John and his wife Annie were having marital trouble and almost separated, and he wrote this in 10 minutes to tell her how he felt. Truly beautiful.
This song fills up my senses like a night in a forest.
Such a beautiful beautiful song 🎵 😍
It's John Denver - it's magic.
One of my favorite concerts was John Denver, backed up by an orchestra under the stars. Magical.
John Denver's legal name was Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. His uncle was a teacher at my high school in Newton Kansas. He tried to get him to play at our school but they could never arrange it. This was around 1977 or 1978.
When songs had melodies ..
#masterpiece
Written for Annie Martell Denver, Johns wife. Amazing song with the lyrics of such depth - "You fill up my senses like a walk in a forest", genius.