Take Me Home, Country Roads (3:07)
151,745 plays (42,286 listeners)
“Take Me Home, Country Roads” is a song written by John Denver, Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, 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.
After many other hit singles, “Take Me Home, Country Roads” remains Denver’s signature song.
Origins
Denver was heading the bill in December 1970 at Washington, D.C. folk club The Cellar Door; Danoff and Nivert opened for him as a duo named Fat City. After the post-Christmas re-opening night (the 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. The second verse of the tune was a bit risqué – referring to “naked ladies” – so the duo reckoned that their song would never get played on the radio.
After many other hit singles, “Take Me Home, Country Roads” remains Denver’s signature song.
Origins
Denver was heading the bill in December 1970 at Washington, D.C. folk club The Cellar Door; Danoff and Nivert opened for him as a duo named Fat City. After the post-Christmas re-opening night (the 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. The second verse of the tune was a bit risqué – referring to “naked ladies” – so the duo reckoned that their song would never get played on the radio.
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Shouts
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TEKENA24 wrote:
epic
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A9999A wrote:
smok'n one for ya Jonn; thanks for making the drive home a lil sweeter
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DaveBaldwin wrote:
Almost Heaven.....West Virginia......WVU Mountaineers....Morgantown....Sunnyside....High Street Hillbillies....Let's Gooooo Drink Some Beers....we love ya.
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OneDrunkWalking wrote:
Out here in the country we aint got no i pods a tall
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ospreywatcher wrote:
A dream track, great for the i pod.
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OzymandiasD wrote:
Amazing
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armagedondude99 wrote:
i would stick this on my ipod however my friends would take the piss
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SoonerJoe wrote:
Anyone else keep bouncing between the studio and the live version? This was originally the studio version.
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steamboat58 wrote:
Oh ya.
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JacintaHurst wrote:
The easiest music to sing to / with...for all those country sorts..me i'm one
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SoonerJoe wrote:
I can't stand country, but this is a bar room classic that's on my iPod.
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memekiwii wrote:
West Virginia is almost heaven..I love John Denver! Great song writer.
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TawaranoTodha wrote:
i'd love to have this on my ipod, but its country =(
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budak6 wrote:
From long long away..
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lifetime01 wrote:
I sing this song for my daughter when she was baby.Ans now we sing it both!
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tolife18 wrote:
Classic. Memories of camp and good friends.
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Mattilu wrote:
Der Song ist immer noch spitze>>>die Straßen nicht mehr!!!!!!
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walkertxkitty wrote:
This was my family's them song whenever we had to move on to a new post. I love it for the sweet nostalgia and the reminder that we did have a home to go back to somewhere.
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cherokeejoe wrote:
dutchendorf is real last name one parent from washita county cordell oklahoma
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RaivenFarrell61 wrote:
* Never been to West Virginia - but there is a special place for her in my heart *
John Denver
Take Me Home, Country Roads
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