John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High. Released in 1972, this song is a cornerstone of folk-rock and a true anthem for the American spirit. Denver, with his gentle charisma and earnest vocals, became synonymous with the vast landscapes and untamed beauty of the Rocky Mountains. Rocky Mountain High wasn’t just a song, it was a sensation.
But what made it resonate so deeply? Firstly, the melody is pure sunshine. It’s a warm embrace of acoustic guitars and layered harmonies, punctuated by Denver’s signature banjo. It evokes wide open spaces, inviting the listener to breathe in the crisp mountain air. The lyrics themselves are a celebration of youthful optimism and a yearning for wide-open spaces.
Denver sings of mountain meadows, columbines, and silvery streams – a romanticized view of nature, perhaps, but one that resonates with a deep-seated human desire for connection with the natural world.
Rocky Mountain High wasn’t without its complexities. Some critics argued that the song’s sentimentality bordered on naivete. The very idea of a place being inherently “high” caused raised eyebrows. But perhaps that’s the magic of the song. It captures a simpler time, a moment of wide-eyed wonder in the face of majestic mountains. It’s a feeling most of us have experienced, that yearning for escape, for a place untouched and pure.
The song’s enduring legacy is undeniable. Rocky Mountain High became the official state song of Colorado in 2007, a testament to its power to evoke a sense of place and belonging. Denver’s voice, both soothing and resolute, became a soundtrack for a generation seeking a connection to the natural world.
Even today, the song retains its power to transport us – if only for a moment – to those lofty peaks, leaving us with a sense of peace and a yearning for adventure.
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Lyrics
He was born in the summer of his 27th year, coming home to a place he’d never been before
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again
You might say he found a key for every door
When he first came to the mountains, his life was far away on the road and hanging by a song
But the strings already broken and he doesn’t really care
It keeps changing fast, and it don’t last for long
And the Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I’ve seen it raining fire in the sky
The shadows from the starlight are softer than a lullaby
Rocky Mountain high, Colorado. Rocky Mountain high
He climbed cathedral mountains, he saw silver clouds below
He saw everything as far as you can see
And they say that he got crazy once and he tried to touch the sun
And he lost a friend, but kept the memory
Now he walks in quiet solitude, the forest and the streams, seeking grace in every step he takes
His sight is turned inside himself, to try and understand
The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake
And the Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I’ve seen it raining fire in the sky
You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply
Rocky Mountain high, Colorado. Rocky Mountain high
Now his life is full of wonder, but his heart still knows some fear
Of a simple thing he can not comprehend
Why they try to tear the mountains down to bring in a couple more
More people, more scars upon the land
And the Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I’ve seen it raining fire in the sky
I know he’d be a poor man if he never saw an eagle fly
Rocky Mountain high, the Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I’ve seen it raining fire in the sky
Friends around the campfire and everybody’s high
Rocky Mountain high, Colorado. Rocky Mountain high
Rocky Mountain high, Colorado. Rocky Mountain high