“Take Me Home, Country Roads” is a song written by John Denver, Taffy Nivert, and Bill Danoff and initially recorded by John Denver. It was included on his 1971 breakout album Poems, Prayers and Promises; the single went to #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It became one of John Denver’s most popular and world-wide beloved songs, and is still very popular around the world, considered to be John Denver’s own signature song. It also has a prominent status as an iconic symbol of West Virginia; for example, it was played at the funeral memorial for U.S. Senator Robert Byrd in July 2010.
Starting December 22, 1970, John Denver was heading the bill at The Cellar Door, a Washington, D.C. club. Danoff and Nivert opened for him as a duo named Fat City. After the Tuesday post-Christmas re-opening night (Cellar Door engagements ran from Tuesday to Sunday, and this booking was for two weeks), the three headed back to their place for an impromptu jam. On the way, Denver’s left thumb was broken in an automobile accident. He was taken to the hospital, where a splint was applied. By the time they got back to the house, he was, in his own words, “wired, you know”.
Danoff and Nivert then told him about a song that they had been working on for about a month. Inspiration had come while driving to a family reunion of Nivert’s relatives in nearby Maryland. To pass the time en route, Danoff had made up a ballad about the little winding roads they were taking. Later, he changed the story to fit that of an artist friend, who used to write to him about the splendors of the West Virginia countryside.
Originally, Danoff and Nivert had planned to sell the song to popular country singer Johnny Cash, but when Denver heard the song and decided he had to have it, the duo who wrote the original lyrics decided not to make the sale.
They sang the song for Denver and as he recalled, “I flipped.” The three stayed up until 6:00 a.m., changing words and moving lines around. When they finished, John announced that the song had to go on his next album.
The song was premiered December 30, 1970, during an encore of Denver’s set, the singers reading the words from a folded piece of paper. This resulted in a five-minute ovation, one of the longest in Cellar Door history. They recorded it in New York City in January 1971.
“Take Me Home, Country Roads” appeared on the LP Poems, Prayers & Promises and was released as a 45 in the spring of 1971. It broke nationally in mid-April, but moved up the charts very slowly. After several weeks, RCA Records called John and told him that they were giving up on the single. His response: “No! Keep working on it!” They did, and on August 18 it was certified a million-seller.
By John Denver
Lyrics
| Almost heaven, west Virginia Blue ridge mountains, Shenandoah River Life is old there, older than the trees Younger than the mountains Growing like a breeze Country road, take me home To the place I belong West Virginia, mountain mamma Take me home, country road All my memories gathered round her Miner’s lady, stranger to blue water Dark and dusty painted on the sky Misty taste of moonshine Teardrop in my eye I hear her voice in the morning hours she calls me Radio reminds me of my home far away And driving down the road I get a feeling That I should’ve been home yesterday |
就像是天堂，西維吉尼亞州 有藍色山脊的群山和雪納杜河 在那兒生命是古老的，比森林更古老 但比山脈年輕 像風一樣自在的成長 鄉村小路，帶我回家 回到我屬於的地方 就是西維吉尼亞州──山脈之母 帶我回家，鄉村小路 我所有的回憶都圍繞著她─── 礦工的淑女、藍色河水的陌生人、 塗滿了黑與灰的天空 和朦朧的月光 淚水在我眼眶中打轉 清晨時分，我聽到她呼喚我的聲音 廣播節目提醒我家還很遠 在開車回家的路上，我有一種感覺 我昨天就該回到家的懷抱 |