Wednesday, April 23, 2014

T is for...

Take Me Home Country Roads...
John Denver, 1971.


A Serenade of Seventies songs, from the soundtrack of my life, is my theme for the A-Z challenge this year.

I found this to be the greatest hit on his greatest hits album we had. This was the song I thought was going to catapult me and my fabulous voice to fame. Even before the day I was introduced to the giant brown earphones, I had this vinyl, a black fold-up record player on a table in my bedroom, a few coins if the needle skipped, and a chair to stand on. My stuffed animals were the lucky guests at my private concerts, where I commanded that room.

Country roads take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain momma
Take me home country roads

I was a kid growing up in Central New York, who had visited West Virginia once, so I have no idea why I felt this song so much. My favorite part was this change-up...

I hear her voice
In the morning hour she calls me
The radio reminds me of my home far away
And driving down the road I get a feeling 
That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday

Then again, my encore was often something off the Mary Poppins soundtrack. Considering I did not have a nanny who dropped in on an umbrella, there really was no logic to my song choices.

35 comments:

  1. I remember this song being a staple of elementary school music classes. I wasn't introduced to John Denver's music till I got my own transistor radio in 1972 or 73. Up to that point I serenaded my stuffed animals with Partridge Family songs!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My loyalty to the Brady's could not be swayed by those Partridge kids!

      Delete
  2. Another classic sing along song! I am loving all these flashbacks. I just noticed he had Shawn Cassidy hair in that video

    ReplyDelete
  3. aahhh, yes, those country roads.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Well, this song is extremely singable. I think most men and women can sing it fairly easily. The melody is truly wonderful. And who doesn't want to be in the place that feels like home? I remember singing this as a kid on my bicycle as I pedaled around my neighborhood.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! The singability made me think I had ability!!!

      Delete
  5. Hi Andrea - I definitely remember this song - it's uplifting ... and definitely one to sing as one drives around our country lanes - well would be for me ..

    Fun that you put on concerts for your animals .. perhaps I did too?! Cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe you had siblings to subject to the concerts? ;)

      Delete
  6. Lol--were we separated at birth? I had the exact same record player with the coins, and I sang my heart out. Much to the chagrin of my parents!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha ha ha haha ha! This isn't the first time we've wondered that is it?

      Delete
  7. "The radio reminds me of home far away"
    Yes! Brought back John Denver!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "driving down the road I had a feeling that I should've been home yesterday"

      Delete
  8. I do love John Denver. "Country Roads" is one of the first songs I learned to play on the guitar and is one of my favorites to play when jamming with friends. It is a great song!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't even imagine my fame if I could've played the guitar...to drown out my voice! ;)

      Delete
  9. I love this song, too, and I'm from suburban Massachusetts, so go figure.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ah, one of my favorite songs from those long ago days of my youth. They don't make 'em like that any more. A tragedy.

    ReplyDelete
  11. You sang for your stuffed animals too???? Yay! My daughter became obsessed with John Denver when she was in her teens. And that was only a few years ago when most girls her age were into pop/rap. But she's weird like me (and you). :)

    -andi

    ReplyDelete
  12. Are you sure you aren't my sister? Almost everyone one of these songs you have posted about I strongly associate with my sister since she played them(and or the associated artist) all the time when we were growing up. It's been rather uncanny.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, you've been punked! You owe me several birthday and holiday greetings!

      Delete
  13. An excellent song choice. I love that one too. Thanks for sharing your memory. God, I remember doing stuff like that too but to Carrol King songs. :)
    History Sleuth's Writings - Blogging A-Z

    ReplyDelete
  14. I still have my John Denver greatest hits album. Some parts of West Virginia are pretty, and some are a bit scary as in creepy, staring hillbillies.

    Love,
    Janie

    ReplyDelete
  15. When I was a kid, I loved that song because I was actually born in West Virginia. We left there when I was 2 and I've only been back once...but I felt like he was singing about me because, "I was born in West Virginia..."

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Andrea, after reading your post, it keeps on ringing in my head. I believe I have the lyrics memorized for singing the song a lot in karaoke with my folks when I was a lot younger! The lyrics also apply to me at the moment (although not geographically!) -- if you are curious, refer to my Monday post for letter "R".

    I am so happy that I am enduring this A-Z April Challenge so far despite so many confusions in my life right now. Blog hopping through other participants entries take my mind away from my worries and troubles if not permanently but at least for a moment's enjoyment.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I remember where I was when I heard of his death; I loved his music; this too was a favorite of mine.

    betty

    ReplyDelete
  18. I loved John Denver and didn't have a clue about the places he was singing about so I changed the lyrics to suit my home country. My sisters and I often had little concerts on the back steps and we made up our own tunes. One sister went on to become a singer songwriter and I grew up wishing I could sing to crowds(but don't).

    ReplyDelete
  19. This was one of the first songs I learned how to play on the guitar:-)
    Enjoyed reading back through your a to z posts.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Awww, man, I miss John Denver! He wrote the coolest songs. No one like him these days.

    ReplyDelete
  21. When I was nineteen, I was in loved with a boy who was a student at West Virginia University. I saw John Denver perform this at the dedication of the Mountaineer Stadium. I liked John Denver, and I loved that boy.

    ReplyDelete
  22. ^because why else would you take a greyhound bus to West Virginia?

    ReplyDelete
  23. I've always loved this song because I love the mountains, I guess. I live on a mountain now, and I always wanted to live on one. :D They're scary during storms, though, because we always get the straight line winds.

    ReplyDelete
  24. This one IS on my iPod. Loved John Denver (aka "the guy from the Muppets").

    ReplyDelete