A Handful of John Denver's Greatest Hits

I am an old sap. I make no attempt to deny it. A review of the book I published last year recently appeared in our local paper, and the reviewer issued readers a “warning, that the McCarty family has a marked tendency to burst spontaneously into John Denver songs whenever they're in the vicinity of a campfire.” Well. As if that’s a bad thing. I adore John Denver, and if I could figure out a way to mention him in the tribute to my family reunion stomping grounds, I wasn’t going to pass it up. I’ve been listening to him all my life, and he’ll always occupy one of the top slots in my musical hierarchy. He was quite a prolific songwriter, so this collection barely skims the surface, but it’s a pretty good starter nonetheless.

Take Me Home Country Roads - I first recall encountering this song, oddly enough, in my elementary school music book. An excerpt of the song – complete with sheet music – was printed underneath a picture of John Denver and a brief recounting of his accomplishments. Somehow I did not recall the song, but I was overjoyed at the prospect of singing a John Denver tune in music class. We finally did sing that song several months later. The vast majority of the class groaned and proclaimed its lameness, but one buck-toothed, bespectacled little girl was in ecstasy, much as she was when she brought Art Garfunkel’s Angel Clare into French class to listen to Feuilles-Oh… It got a similar reaction. There was no accounting for musical taste in my elementary school classmates… Anyway, it’s a nice tribute to West Virginia full of natural images and John’s warm vocals. “Almost heaven, West Virginia. Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River…” He seemed very fond of writing tributes to states. Why didn’t he write one for Pennsylvania? And if he did, why didn’t anyone ever tell me?

Follow Me - I take this to be a sort of proposal to Annie, standing in ironic counterpoint to Goodbye Again. Here he is asking her to follow him, but once they’re together he always ends up leaving her behind. I would have included Annie’s Song over this one, but it’s still nice. “Follow me where I go, what I do and who I know. Make it part of you to be a part of me.”

Starwood In Aspen - Along the lines of Back Home Again – which I prefer – but this time, he’s far from home and wishing he was back. He’s lonely and missing his family, and I’m sure the feeling is mutual. Another song that fits in with Leavin’ and the related songs that came after it. “Its a long way home to Starwood in Aspen, a sweet Rocky Mountain paradise.”

For Baby (For Bobbie) - A very warm and tender lullaby, though I’m not sure just who Bobbie is. Anyway, it’s a sweet song that I take to be about an adult sharing the wonder of the world with a youngster who is yet to experience it. It could also be a love song, I suppose, but it seems to me like a song literally written for a baby. “And the wind will whisper your name to me, little birds will sing along in time, leaves will bow down when you walk by and morning bells will chime.”

Rhymes And Reasons - The first time I heard this, it was sung not by John but by the Irish Rovers. To this day, I slightly prefer the Rovers’ version, with its soothing flute and the warbling of nature sounds in the background. But John’s original is very nice too, of course. A very heartfelt song that John once described as his favorite, it is an idealistic anthem proclaiming his philosophy of life. “For the children and the flowers are my sisters and my brothers. Their laughter and their loveliness would clear a cloudy day. Like the music of the mountains and the colors of the rainbow, they’re a promise for the future and a blessing for today.”

Leaving On A Jet Plane - This is the song that made him famous, thanks to Peter Paul and Mary. A thousand thanks to them. It’s a nice song, rather sad but also hopeful. A good one to listen to when someone you love is going away, whether it’s on a trip of off to college. It has a pretty solid place in the public consciousness, appearing in Armageddon, Catch Me If You Can and the trailer for The Terminal, and it even secured a spot on the list of songs some great minds suggested be banned from radio following 9-11. “I’m leavin’ on a jet plane, don’t know when I’ll be back again.”

The Eagle And The Hawk - A joyous tune reflecting John’s visceral love of the wilderness. A lot of the songs on this album are mellow, but here the words burst forth from the mouth of their exuberant composer as though they could barely be contained. Similar in melody to Calypso, another of his most exultant songs, it leaves the listeners soaring through the clouds like the birds of prey with whom John identifies. “All who can see me and all who believe in me share in the freedom I feel when I fly!”

Sunshine On My Shoulders - This is probably my mom’s favorite John Denver song and possibly the mellowest of his offerings. The smooth woodwinds carry the listener along like a summer breeze on a sun-drenched day. A very sweet and sentimental love song, as well as an ode to a natural phenomenon I haven’t seen much of lately here in dreary Erie… “Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy. Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry. Sunshine on the water looks so lovely. Sunshine almost always makes me high.”

Goodbye Again - This companion to Leavin’ is more wistful than the first, apologizing for leaving once again and hating that sometimes he and his sweetheart depart of bad terms. It’s really quite sad considering the fact that John’s constant absence eventually led to the deterioration of his marriage, which seemed so perfect to begin with. It’s a shame that in his quest to bring joy to the world with his music and use his influence to aid the less fortunate, he paved the way for the crumbling of his own personal life. “It’s goodbye again, and I wish you could tell me why do we always fight when I have to go?”

Poems Prayers And Promises - Another very mellow offering, heavy on the woodwinds again, this one just a celebration of how grand it is to be alive. A little too mellow, perhaps – just what is in that pipe they’re passing around? Seriously, though, it’s a gently joyful ode to the glory of life, and it always makes me sad to hear the line “It turns me on to think of growing old.” What a pity he never got the chance.

Rocky Mountain High - Even more unabashedly ecstatic than Eagle and the Hawk. This song describes John’s “rebirth” in the Rockies in his twenties in a sort of baptism by the fire of a shower of meteors. Love of nature and love of music intermingle and are amplified, and the chorus is especially glorious. “Rocky Mountain high! I’ve seen it raining fire in the sky! You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply…”

As I said, this is hardly a sufficient greatest hits album, considering John Denver’s great output over the years. Of course, it was released pretty early in his career, so there are much more comprehensive collections out there. But for a good feel for what made so many people fall in love with him in the beginning, this is a great place to start.