Back Home Again by John Denver in the Key of D

1971 single by John Denver

Not to be dislocated with the James Taylor song Land Road.

"Have Me Dwelling, Country Roads"
Side A of the U.s. single
Single past John Denver
from the album Poems, Prayers & Promises
B-side	"Poems, Prayers and Promises"
Released	April 12, 1971 (1971-04-12)
Recorded	January 1971, New York City
Genre	Country[i]
Length	iii:17
Characterization	RCA
Songwriter(due south)	Beak Danoff Taffy Nivert John Denver
Producer(south)	Milton Okun Susan Ruskin
John Denver singles chronology
"Friends With You" (1971) "Take Me Home, Country Roads" (1971) "Everyday" (1972)
Audio
"Take Me Home, Country Roads" (sound) on YouTube

"Take Me Abode, Country Roads", as well known simply as "Country Roads", is a song written by Beak Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver about West Virginia. It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number two on Billboard 's US Hot 100 singles for the week ending August 28, 1971. The song was a success on its initial release and was certified Gold by the RIAA on August 18, 1971, and Platinum on April 10, 2017.^[2] The vocal became one of John Denver'southward most popular songs. It has connected to sell, with over one.6 million digital copies sold in the United States.^[3]

The vocal is considered a symbol of Westward Virginia, which it describes as "Well-nigh Heaven". In March 2014, it became i of the four official state anthems of West Virginia.

Composition [edit]

Inspiration for the title line had come up while Nivert and Danoff, who were married, were driving along Clopper Route in Montgomery County, Maryland to a Nivert family gathering in Gaithersburg, with Nivert behind the bicycle while Danoff played his guitar. "I just started thinking, country roads, I started thinking of me growing upwards in western new England and going on all these small roads," Danoff said. "It didn't have anything to practise with Maryland or anyplace."^[4]

To Danoff, the lyric "(t)he radio reminds me of my home far away" in the bridge is quintessentially W Virginian, an allusion to when he listened to the plan Sabbatum Dark Jamboree, broadcast from Wheeling, West Virginia, on WWVA at his abode in Springfield, Massachusetts during his babyhood in the 1950s.^[v]

Danoff had another W Virginia associations to draw from also. He became friends with actor Chris Sarandon likewise as a grouping of hippies from a West Virginia district who used to sit in the front row of the little clubs in which his groups used to play:^[5] "They brought their dogs and were a very colorful grouping of folks, but that is how West Virginia began creeping into the song," Danoff said. He briefly considered using his habitation state of "Massachusetts", rather than "West Virginia", every bit both four-syllable state names would have fit the song's meter. "I didn't want to write about Massachusetts because I didn't recall the discussion was musical. And the Bee Gees, of course, had a hit record called "Massachusetts", just what did I know?" Danoff said.^[5]

Starting December 22, 1970, Denver was heading the New Year's bill at The Cellar Door, with Fatty Metropolis opening for him, just as Denver had opened at the same lodge for then headliner David Steinberg. After the social club's post-Christmas reopening night on Tuesday, December 29 (Cellar Door engagements ran from Tuesday to Sun and this booking was for two weeks), the three headed back to the couple'due south apartment for an impromptu jam. On the way, Denver's left thumb was broken in a collision. He was rushed to the emergency room, where the thumb was put in a splint. Past the fourth dimension they got back to the apartment, Denver said he was "wired, you know."^{[ citation needed ]}

When Danoff and Nivert ran through what they had of the song they had been working on for most a month, planning to sell to Johnny Cash, Denver "flipped."^{[ clarification needed ]} He decided he had to take information technology, prompting them to abandon plans for the sale.^{[ citation needed ]} The verses and chorus were nevertheless missing a bridge, so the three of them went most finishing.

Nivert got out an encyclopedia to larn more nearly Westward Virginia, and the first affair that came upon was the Rhododendron, the state blossom, and then she kept trying to piece of work the give-and-take Rhododendron into the vocal. Rhododendron was the title that Nivert had written downwards on the lyric sheet, which they after sent to ASCAP.^[5] The three stayed upwards until six:00 a.yard., irresolute words and moving lines effectually.^[half-dozen]

When they finished, on the morning of Midweek, December 30, 1970, Denver announced that the vocal had to keep his next album.^{[half dozen]} Later that dark, during Denver'south first set, Denver called his ii collaborators back to the spotlight, where the trio inverse their career trajectories, reading the lyrics from a single, handheld, unfolded slice of paper. The resulting ovation is said^{[ by whom? ]} to have been five minutes long.^{[ commendation needed ]} The next twenty-four hour period was Denver's 28th birthday. They recorded it in New York City in January 1971.

Commercial performance [edit]

"Have Me Home, State Roads" appeared on the LP Poems, Prayers & Promises and was released every bit a 45 in the spring of 1971. Original pressings credited the single to "John Denver with Fat City". It broke nationally in mid-April merely 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 the single went to number i on the Record World Pop Singles Chart and the Greenbacks Box Acme 100, and number 2 on the U.Due south. Billboard Hot 100, topped just by "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" by The Bee Gees.

On August xviii, 1971, it was certified Gold past the RIAA for a one thousand thousand copies shipped.^[vii] The song continued to sell in the digital era. As of January 2020, the song has also sold 1,591,000 downloads since it became available digitally.^[iii]

Reception in West Virginia [edit]

"Take Me Home, Country Roads" received an enthusiastic response from Due west Virginians. The song is the theme song of West Virginia Academy and it has been performed during every domicile football pregame show since 1972.

On September six, 1980, at the invitation of W Virginia Governor Jay Rockefeller, songwriters Danoff, Nivert, and Denver performed the song during pregame festivities to a sold-out crowd of Mountaineer fans. This performance marked the dedication of the electric current W Virginia Academy Mountaineer Field and the first game for head motorcoach Don Nehlen.^[viii]

The song is played for other athletic events and university functions, including later football game games, for which the fans are encouraged to stay in the stands and sing the song along with the team.^[nine]

The song was played at the funeral for W Virginia Senator Robert Byrd at the state capitol in Charleston, West Virginia on July 2, 2010.^[10]

The popularity of the vocal inspired resolutions in the Westward Virginia Legislature to adopt "Take Me Domicile, Country Roads" as an official state vocal. On March 7, 2014, the Due west Virginia Legislature approved a resolution to make "Accept Me Dwelling house, Country Roads" an official state vocal of W Virginia, alongside three other pieces: "West Virginia Hills", "This Is My Due west Virginia", and "Due west Virginia, My Home Sweet Home".^[eleven] Governor Earl Ray Tomblin signed the resolution into police force on March 8, 2014.^[12]

On November i, 2017, the Westward Virginia Tourism Function announced it had obtained the rights to use "Take Me Home, Country Roads", in its marketing efforts. "'Country Roads' has become synonymous with West Virginia all over the world," said Westward Virginia Tourism Commissioner Chelsea Reddish. "It highlights everything we love about our land: scenic dazzler, majestic mountains, a timeless way of life, and most of all, the warmth of a place that feels like dwelling whether you lot've lived here forever or are just coming to visit." The opening phrase of the vocal, "Almost sky", became a chief tourism office slogan.^[13]

The Mountain State Brewing Visitor based in Thomas, West Virginia produces an amber ale named "Nearly Heaven," which it says is "named after John Denver's ode to Due west Virginia, Country Roads".^[14]

Personnel [edit]

• John Denver – vocals, 6 & 12-string audio-visual guitar
• Bill Danoff – bankroll vocals
• Taffy Nivert – backing vocals
• Eric Weissberg – banjo, steel guitar
• Mike Taylor – acoustic guitar
• Richard Kniss – double bass
• Gary Chester – drums, percussion

Charts [edit]

Certifications [edit]

Cover versions [edit]

Hermes Business firm Band version [edit]

"Country Roads"
Single by Hermes House Band
from the album The Anthology
Released	May 21, 2001 (2001-05-21)
Length	iii:22
Label	XPLO Music (Netherlands, United kingdom) various (international)
Songwriter(south)	Pecker Danoff Taffy Nivert John Denver
Producer(due south)	Jim Binapfl John Lehmkuhl Mark Snijders Jack Cadet
Hermes Business firm Band singles chronology
"Disco Samba Part II" (2000) "Country Roads" (2001) "Que Sera Sera" (2001)

Dutch pop band Hermes House Band covered the song and released it equally "Country Roads". This version was get-go released in Germany on May 21, 2001,^[24] and was issued in the United Kingdom on December three, 2001, where it was a contender for the 2001 Christmas number-1 unmarried.^[25] This version was a nautical chart success in Europe, reaching number one in Scotland, number two in Germany and Ireland, and the top 10 in Republic of austria, Denmark, and the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland.

Runway listings [edit]

Dutch CD unmarried^[26]

No.	Title	Length
i.	"State Roads" (original radio edit)	three:22
ii.	"Country Roads" (happy trip the light fantastic version)	3:20

Belgian CD single^[27]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Country Roads" (original radio edit)	3:22
2.	"State Roads" (happy trip the light fantastic toe version)	3:20
3.	"Country Roads" (karaoke version)	3:xx

European and Australian maxi-unmarried^{[28] [29]}

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Country Roads" (original alive radio version)	iii:22
2.	"Country Roads" (original radio version)	three:22
3.	"Country Roads" (dance radio version)	3:20
4.	"Country Roads" (happy party radio version)	3:20
5.	"Country Roads" (original live extended version)	iv:24
vi.	"Country Roads" (dance extended version)	iv:14
7.	"Land Roads" (happy party extended version)	4:26

UK enhanced CD single^[30]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Country Roads" (original radio version)	three:22
2.	"Country Roads" (original live extended version)	4:24
three.	"Land Roads" (trip the light fantastic extended version)	iv:14
4.	"Land Roads" (video)	3:22

Britain cassette unmarried^[31]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"State Roads" (original radio version)	3:22
2.	"Country Roads" (original live extended version)	iv:24
3.	"Country Roads" (original dance extended version)	4:14

Charts [edit]

Certifications [edit]

Olivia Newton-John version [edit]

Olivia Newton-John released a embrace version in Jan 1973 that reached number 6 in Japan and number 15 in the UK.^[52] It was the lead single from her tertiary studio album, Let Me Be At that place. This version, as well as the song itself, features prominently in the Japanese animated moving picture, Whisper of the Heart.

Lynn Anderson version [edit]

Land music singer Lynn Anderson recorded a version of the song on her 1971 studio album How Can I Unlove You which reached the number 2 position on the Top Country Albums chart — ane of the most successful albums Anderson released during her career.

Fallout 76 version [edit]

A cover version of the song, a collaboration between Copilot Music and Sound and the vocal group Spank,^[53] was deputed for and featured in both the teaser and total E3 2018 trailers for the 2018 video game Fallout 76, with its plot events are set in W Virginia.^[54] Released as an iTunes-simply single on July 4, 2018, the song reached No. 1 on the iTunes singles nautical chart.^[55] It debuted at No. 41 on Billboard'south Hot Country Songs chart that calendar week and at No. 21 on Billboard's Country Digital Songs the following week.^[55] The official YouTube upload of the original John Denver recording, initially uploaded in 2013, would later edit its description in response to the song'due south employ for the game.^[56] In Australia, a promotional Fallout 76 vinyl featuring the cover was included with the December 2018 upshot of STACK Mag exclusively from retailer JB Hi-Fi.^[57]

References [edit]

1. ^ Kurt Wolff; Orla Duane (2000). Land Music: The Crude Guide. Rough Guides. p. 425. ISBN978-1-85828-534-4.
2. ^ "American single certifications – John Denver – Take Me Home, Country Route". Recording Industry Association of America.
3. ^ ^{a b c} Bjorke, Matt (January 25, 2020). "Acme 30 Digital Country Downloads: January 24, 2020". Rough Stock . Retrieved February iii, 2020.
4. ^ Segraves, Mark (December 30, 2020). "Co-Writer of 'Take Me Domicile, Country Roads' Dispels Myths Surrounding Vocal's Origins". NBC4 Washington . Retrieved August xxx, 2021.
5. ^ ^{a b c d} "Take Me Home, Land Roads". WVUSports.com. January 29, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
6. ^ ^{a b} Collis, John (September 30, 2011). John Denver: Mother Nature's Son. Mainstream Publishing. p. 22. ISBN978-1-78057-330-four.
7. ^ ^{a b} "American single certifications – John Denver – Take Me Domicile, Country Road". Recording Industry Association of America.
8. ^ "State Roads-John Denver WVU 1980 Introduction and Full Song (Audio)". YouTube. July viii, 2013. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved December ane, 2018. John Denver, Neb Danoff, and Taffy Nivert performing "Take Me Home, Country Roads" at the opening of West Virginia Academy's Mountaineer Field September half-dozen, 1980. This audio recording includes the introduction by John Denver followed past the full vocal as recorded by WVAQ with Jack Fleming announcing.
9. ^ "Welcome To | WVU Traditions | West Virginia Academy". Welcometo.wvu.edu. November 3, 2009. Archived from the original on July xx, 2011. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
10. ^ Garcia, Jon (July 2, 2010). "Eulogizing Sen. Robert Byrd: The Hard Working, if Imperfect, Senator". ABC News. Archived from the original on July 5, 2010.
11. ^ "Archived re-create". Archived from the original on March 16, 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2014. {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived re-create as championship (link)
12. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 8, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2014. {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy equally title (link)
13. ^ "WV Tourism obtains rights to utilize John Denver's 'Take Me Abode, Country Roads'". West Virginia Press. November 1, 2017. Retrieved December one, 2018.
14. ^ "Brews". Mountainstatebrewing.com. Archived from the original on Jan 4, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2012.
15. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Upshot 7580." RPM. Library and Athenaeum Canada. September four, 1971.
16. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Event 5331." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Baronial 14, 1971.
17. ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Outcome 5339." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. August fourteen, 1971.
18. ^ "John Denver Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
19. ^ "John Denver Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
20. ^ "Hot State Singles". Billboard. Vol. 83, no. 36. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. September 4, 1971. p. 32. ISSN 0006-2510.
21. ^ "Danish single certifications – John Denver – Take Me Home, Country Roads". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
22. ^ "Italian single certifications – John Denver – Take Me Home, Country Roads" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved April 15, 2019. Select "2019" in the "Anno" drop-down carte du jour. Select "Take Me Home, Country Roads" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" nether "Sezione".
23. ^ "British single certifications – John Denver – Accept Me Home Country Roads". British Phonographic Manufacture. Retrieved Baronial 31, 2021.
24. ^ ^{a b} "Hermes House Band – State Roads" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
25. ^ "The Christmas Number Ane Race" (PDF). Music Week. December i, 2001. p. 21. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
26. ^ Country Roads (Dutch CD unmarried disc notes). Hermes Business firm Ring. XPLO Music. 2001. 0133636ERE. {{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
27. ^ Country Roads (Belgian CD single liner notes). Hermes House Band. ARS Productions. 2001. scd 740635-five. {{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
28. ^ Country Roads (European maxi-single liner notes). Hermes Business firm Band. XPLO Music. 2001. 74321 89745 2. {{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
29. ^ Country Roads (Australian maxi-single liner notes). Hermes Business firm Ring. Hussle Recordings. 2001. PORNCD5004. {{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
30. ^ Country Roads (UK enhanced CD unmarried liner notes). Hermes Business firm Band. XPLO Music, Liberty Records. 2001. 7243 five 50234 0 7. {{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
31. ^ Land Roads (Uk cassette single sleeve). Hermes Business firm Ring. XPLO Music. 2001. 7243 5 50234 iv 5. {{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
32. ^ "Hermes Business firm Band – Country Roads" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
33. ^ "Hermes House Band – Country Roads" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
34. ^ "Hermes House Band – Country Roads". Tracklisten.
35. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 18, no. 38. September xv, 2001. p. 9. Retrieved February ten, 2020.
36. ^ "The Irish gaelic Charts – Search Results – State Roads". Irish gaelic Singles Chart. Retrieved Jan 28, 2020.
37. ^ "Top 10 Trip the light fantastic toe Singles, Week Ending 11 Oct 2001". GfK Chart-Track. Retrieved June 2, 2019. ^{[ dead link ]}
38. ^ "Nederlandse Meridian xl – week i, 2002" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
39. ^ "Hermes House Band – Land Roads" (in Dutch). Single Summit 100.
40. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Tiptop 100". Official Charts Company.
41. ^ "Hermes House Band – Country Roads". Singles Top 100.
42. ^ "Hermes House Ring – Country Roads". Swiss Singles Chart.
43. ^ "Official Singles Chart Elevation 100". Official Charts Company.
44. ^ "Jahreshitparade Singles 2001" (in German). Retrieved November 9, 2019.
45. ^ "Year in Review – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 2001" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 18, no. 52. December 22, 2001. p. 14. Retrieved February x, 2020.
46. ^ "Top 100 Unmarried–Jahrescharts 2001" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
47. ^ "Best of Singles 2001". IRMA. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
48. ^ "The Official Britain Singles Chart 2001" (PDF). UKChartsPlus . Retrieved June 12, 2018.
49. ^ "Top 100 Songs of 2002". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 2002. Archived from the original on June ii, 2004. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
50. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Hermes Firm Band;'State Roads')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
51. ^ "British unmarried certifications – Hermes Business firm Band – Country Roads". British Phonographic Industry.
52. ^ "Olivia Newton-John | full Official Nautical chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
53. ^ Hines, Pete (July 4, 2018). "IT'S FINALLY Here. Download Country Roads cover now. It was recorded past our friends at CoPilot with a group out of New York called Spank. You lot've never heard of them, but mayhap seen them performing on the streets of New York". Twitter . Retrieved March 2, 2021.
54. ^ Kuchera, Ben (June xi, 2018). "Fallout 76 has everyone bustling John Denver". Polygon. Vocalism Media, Inc. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
55. ^ ^{a b c d} Hampp, Andrew (July 31, 2018). "Songs for Screens: How a John Denver Classic Resurfaced Thank you to 'Fallout 76'". Variety . Retrieved September 17, 2018.
56. ^ "John Denver – Take Me Home, Country Roads (Audio)". YouTube. Apr 5, 2013. Retrieved Oct 11, 2018. John Denver'southward official audio for 'Take Me Home, Country Roads', as featured on Fallout 76.
57. ^ Kolbe, Alesha (December 3, 2018). "Take hold of a Complimentary Fallout 76 vinyl with this month's STACK Magazine". stack.com.au. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2018.

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_Me_Home,_Country_Roads

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