I was listening to the song yesterday and then I read the lyrics. And now I wonder.
Sometimes the singer uses the first person, singing about things “I” have done. But other times the singer sings about things “he” has done. And once the singer sings about something “you” did. This is a sign of Dissociative Identity Disorder.
And the things the singer has done? Seeing the sky raining fire. Hearing shadows. Having conversations with God where God speaks to him. These are hallucinations.
The singer acknowledges feeling fear of things he doesn’t understand. And says that he was barely hanging on but now the string is broken.
Something happened. Even the singer admits he went crazy at one point. He doesn’t give the details of what happened but a friend was lost.
This is a song about a person having a complete breakdown and killing somebody. So he fled his home and ran off to the wilderness where he’s hiding out under a new identity.
John Denver has stated that it was about the exhilaration (and maybe some Colorado tobacco) at seeing a meteor shower while camping with friends in the Rockies. If you disagree with him, feel free to visit here.
Maybe not this far, but Denver was an asshole in real life and had just enough self-awareness to realize it so your interpretation may have something to it.
I suppose you’re going to tell me you also don’t see the clear political subtext in “Sunshine on My Shoulders” and how its real meaning is a call for the proletariat to rise up against the capitalist oppressors.
I just now listened to the song again, and the vibe I got what’s that it was about a returning Vietnam vet who came to the Rockies to find solace. And not only did he find some, he was also able to reintegrate into the local society.
With a side order of maybe Corporate America is coming to gentrify this, too.
OTOH, I’m a little drunk right now, so I could be full of shit.
The weirdest John Denver song is “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, which despite it being the West Virginia state song, has almost nothing to do with West Virginia.
You can get that part with intonation (or facial expression, when in person). Ideally, picture Kirk’s expression after McCoy tells him that Spock’s brain has been removed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZW08CwGpXk
It was written by singer/songwriters Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert (a then-married couple, who were later one-half of the Starland Vocal Band), while driving through Maryland on a trip to see Nivert’s family. Nivert was from the D.C. area, and Danoff from Massachusetts.
It wasn’t really written with West Virginia specifically in mind; the “West Virginia” part of the song came in because (a) Danoff didn’t think that “Massachusetts” was musical enough, and (b) they began hanging out with some people from West Virginia, including actor Chris Sarandon.
The thing I hate about this song is that the first few verses are nice, then it takes a hard right turn and to “I got mine, Fuck You!” about expanding populations and shit. So, It’s nice for Johnny to enjoy the mountains, but fuck everybody else. Kinda Assholish.
