# Thou shalt not rock out... to John Denver **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 19, 2010, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554 "2010-01-19T14:13:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Joe\_Meager](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Joe\_Meager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Joe_Meager)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554/1 "2010-01-19T14:13:06Z")
FOND DU LAC, Wis. – Police responding to a complaint of loud noise have cited a Fond du Lac man for “rocking out” to the music of John Denver. When asked why he had the music so loud, the man said he was “[rocking out](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/01/19/2010-01-19_wisconsin_man_cited_for_rocking_out_to_john_denver.html).” Metallica? Check. Sabbath? Check. Mastodon? Check. John Denver? Fail. (Legal disclaimer: I love the music of John Denver, but would not consider him “rocking out” material.) ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554/2 "2010-01-19T14:31:51Z")
A Frazz cartoon a few years back had one of the characters rockin’ out to Jack Johnson. Same idea, different decade. Hell, I’d say John Denver’s music is less mellow than Jack Johnson’s music. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554/3 "2010-01-19T15:10:10Z")
That’s not true, you can totally rock out to “Thank God, I’m a Country Boy!”. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554/4 "2010-01-19T15:10:36Z")
Moved MPSIMS --\> Cafe Society ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554/5 "2010-01-19T15:15:22Z")
[Rawk!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUehViMjRo0) ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Joe\_Meager](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Joe\_Meager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Joe_Meager)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554/6 "2010-01-19T15:21:24Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > [Rawk!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUehViMjRo0) I stand corrected. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554/7 "2010-01-19T15:28:44Z")
I dunno…I like blastin out Rocky Mountain High. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554/8 "2010-01-19T18:32:28Z")
Or _Wild Montana Skies_. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554/9 "2010-01-19T18:39:19Z")
or _Annie’s Song_. Feel the power! ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Woodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554/10 "2010-01-19T19:59:44Z")
Grandma’s Feather Bed gets pretty loud during my husband’s family sing a longs. (Yes, people really do still do sing a longs. Husband plays the guitar and they all sing. It was a bit surreal the first few times I was there for one.) ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554/11 "2010-01-19T20:31:41Z")
> [@picker](#): > > or _Annie’s Song_. Feel the power! I reiterate: [Rawk!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWH4LhT_WoI) ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@Mister\_Owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Owl)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554/12 "2010-01-19T20:36:54Z")
I think a better cover of Country Roads by Jason and the Scorchers. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/icj5-VsOKV8/hqdefault.jpg "Jason & The Scorchers - Take Me Home") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icj5-VsOKV8) ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554/13 "2010-01-19T20:39:41Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > That’s not true, you can totally rock out to “Thank God, I’m a Country Boy!”. Foot stompin’ + hand clappin’ != rocking out. Unless you’re at a barn dance. ---
**Author:** ![Rafe\_Hollister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Rafe\_Hollister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rafe_Hollister)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554/14 "2010-01-19T20:44:14Z")
There’s a Far Side cartoon that this reminds me of. The music teacher has the little boy in front of her and he’s “rockin’ out” on the trumpet and she says, “Oh, yeah! Look out Miles Davis!” He’s playing from the John Denver song book. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554/15 "2010-01-19T22:09:24Z")
I like to “yodel out” to “Aye Calypso”. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554/16 "2010-01-20T00:03:42Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > Foot stompin’ + hand clappin’ != rocking out. Unless you’re at a barn dance. Rockin’ out is in the ear of the beholder. I prefer to think of it as enjoying the music with your whole body. How you choose to move is a personal choice. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554/17 "2010-01-20T00:06:08Z")
Still waiting for Weird Al to do a Denver-based polka quodlibet. How long, O Lord?! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554/18 "2010-01-20T00:41:37Z")
[Who says you can’t rock out with John Denver?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoJCwq5S1ow) ---
**Author:** ![not\_alice](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_alice/32/7283_2.png) [@not\_alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_alice)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thou-shalt-not-rock-out-to-john-denver/525554/19 "2010-01-20T00:56:28Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > That’s not true, you can totally rock out to “Thank God, I’m a Country Boy!”. As happened many thousands of times over many years, and may still be happening for all I know, at the 7th inning stretch of Baltimore Orioles home baseball games.