I saw an interview with George Burns shortly after the movie came out and he was telling the interviewer "They cast me for the role of God in the film because I'm the closest actor to his age."
Posted on 03/14/2007 8:29:14 AM PDT by mom4kittys
Lawmakers high on John Denver
http://www.aspendailynews.com/article_18584
Sarah Gilman - Aspen Daily News Staff Writer
Tue 03/13/2007 11:01AM MST 'Rocky Mountain High' now a co-official state song
DENVER — The halls of the Colorado Capitol building rang with campfire tunes Monday as both houses of the Legislature heard and passed a joint resolution making John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High" an official state song alongside "Where the Columbines Grow."
"Rocky Mountain High' has been the unofficial state song for 30 years. This was long overdue," said the resolution's primary sponsor, Bob Hagedorn of Aurora.
"For tens of millions of people worldwide, this song was the initial contact with Colorado," he told senators, noting that its lyrics introduce listeners to the state's rugged beauty. "This is a great opportunity for the promotion of Colorado domestically and internationally."
Hagedorn dismissed the idea that lyrics in the song describing a "high" refer to or encourage drug use, suggesting instead that they refer to the elation one feels while enjoying spectacular places.
"We are high on Colorado," primary House sponsor Nancy Todd of Aurora agreed.
A choir singing "Kumbaya" kicked off legislative proceedings and was followed in both houses with versions of Denver's beloved "Rocky Mountain High" after the joint resolution passed. Musician Jim Salestrom, a longtime friend and fan of John Denver who performs at Aspen's yearly John Denver celebration, strummed and sang the tune live for the House of Representatives.
Denver became a local institution when he made Aspen his home in the late 1960s. In 1974, Denver was named Colorado's poet laureate. He and friend Tom Crum created the Windstar Foundation, a nonprofit environmental education center in Old Snowmass, in 1976.
Denver died in a plane crash off the California coast in 1997. This year is the 10th anniversary of his accident.
With a brief reprieve from brow-furrowing issues like environmental protections and education, the mood in both houses was more merry than sober as lawmakers discussed adopting "Rocky Mountain High."
"If I had any hair, I'd part it in the middle and say 'far out,'" Sen. Steve Ward said in an address to the Senate floor.
Despite some lawmakers' insistence that the song's use of the word "high" does not necessarily refer to drugs, others on the House floor snickered when speakers referred to the measure as "the joint resolution."
One representative who could not be identified pointed out the verse which refers to tearing down the mountains to make room for "more people, more scars upon the land." "Is this song anti-homebuilder?" he quipped with a grin.
Indeed, not everyone was high on making "Rocky Mountain High" co-official. Eight senators and 10 representatives voted against the measure.
"I'm a huge John Denver fan ... he was a musical pioneer. But the veiled drug reference is not the best signal," said nay-voting Sen. Josh Penry of Fruita.
Some members of the public also objected.
Eighty-year-old Denver resident and songstress Mary Collett came to perform and dispense copies of her own Colorado anthem, "Colorado, U.S.A.," to any lawmakers she could snag Monday morning.
"I think it's very sad and very negative," she said of the newly passed resolution. "Too many people didn't want it" because Denver's song refers to "being high on marijuana and the drug scene of the '70s," she argued, noting that "there are other songs out there that are really great, but they (lawmakers) didn't give anyone else a chance."
The Senate State Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, of which Hagedorn is a member, briefly discussed the measure on the floor instead of holding a public hearing — effectively barring comment from citizens on the song's adoption by the state. The move ensured a speedy process and the resolution passed quickly with a large majority in both the Senate and the House.
Senate co-sponsor Gail Schwartz of Snowmass got the outcome she wanted. Denver "has left us with the ability to celebrate what we feel is important about Colorado — our love of landscape and the backcountry," she said of the newly adopted state song. A longtime friend of Denver's family, Schwartz added, "I think he'd be honored and delighted" that "Rocky Mountain High" is finally official.
"That is very cool. He'd be very honored. We are very proud. I am going to call my mom and tell her," said Ron Deutschendorf, Denver's brother, told the Associated Press upon hearing the news. John Denver was born Henry John Deutschendorf and he changed his name in 1969.
sarah@aspendailynews.com
It's a generational thing. Denver kicked off a major hiking and backpacking fad with his music and life when he became popular.
"Despite some lawmakers' insistence that the song's use of the word "high" does not necessarily refer to drugs, others on the House floor snickered when speakers referred to the measure as "the joint resolution." "
Ok, that one is funny because we do have a lot of pot smokers here.
I, for one, am glad they did. John Denver was a man of Colorado who really loved this place and sung about it often. He did more for the image and value for Colorado than most others. He lived here and called this place home. His videos of Colorado were stunning and his music represented Colorado well.
i remember when they named a high school after the song.
yes, the song is an emblem of colorado.
I always thought the song implied that you don't need drugs to be high in Colorado, because its so beautiful, etc.
"...friends around the campfire and everybody's high...."
When will the family values crowd start protesting?
Leni
I can see why they were looking for a replacement!
From wiki: The song briefly became controversial that year when the U.S. Federal Communications Commission was permitted by a legal ruling to crack down on music deemed to promote drug abuse. Numerous radio stations cautiously banned the song until Denver publicly explained that the "high" was his innocent description of the sense of peace he found in the Rockies. In 1985, Denver testified before Congress in the Parents Music Resource Center hearings about his experience:
John's statement: "This was obviously done by people who had never seen or been to the Rocky Mountains, and also had never experienced the elation, celebration of life, or the joy in living that one feels when he observes something as wondrous as the Perseids meteor shower on a moonless, cloudless night, when there are so many stars that you have a shadow from the starlight, and you are out camping with your friends, your best friends, and introducing them to one of nature's most spectacular light shows for the first time"
Here you go:
Rocky Mountain High (Denver/Taylor)
He was born in the summer of his 27th year, coming home to a place he'd never been before.
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again,
you might say he found a key for every door.
When he first came to the mountains, his life was far away on the road and hanging by a song.
But the strings already broken and he doesn't really care,
it keeps changing fast, and it don't last for long.
And the Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I've seen it raining fire in the sky.
The shadows from the starlight are softer than a lullaby.
Rocky Mountain high, Colorado. Rocky Mountain high.
He climbed cathedral mountains, he saw silver clouds below,
he saw everything as far as you can see.
And they say that he got crazy once and he tried to touch the sun,
and he lost a friend, but kept the memory.
Now he walks in quiet solitude, the forest and the streams, seeking grace in every step he takes.
His sight is turned inside himself, to try and understand
the serenity of a clear blue mountain lake.
And the Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I've seen it raining fire in the sky.
You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply.
Rocky Mountain high, Colorado. Rocky Mountain high.
Now his life is full of wonder, but his heart still knows some fear,
of a simple thing he can not comprehend.
Why they try to tear the mountains down to bring in a couple more,
more people, more scars upon the land.
And the Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I've seen it raining fire in the sky.
I know he'd be a poor man if he never saw an eagle fly,
Rocky Mountain high, the Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I've seen it raining fire in the sky.
Friends around the campfire and everybody's high
Rocky Mountain high, Colorado. Rocky Mountain high.
Rocky Mountain high, Colorado. Rocky Mountain high.
I loved his music, and this song has some wonderful imagery ("Shadows from the starlight")
But.. one of the funniest things I ever heard was a comedy bit that appeared on a Monty Python album - and he quickly sued an had it removed.
It was "The Sound of John Denver Being Strangled" and consisted of an imitator singing the first few seconds of a very suggestively modified version of "Annie's Song" followed by the gagging sounds..."
Anyone know if I can find that anywhere on the internet?
Denver was God in the ealy 70's. Everyone in Junior High had his records.
OK, not a glowing endorsement but we were all going camping in the mountains, eating Gorp and sitting around the campfire passing a jo.... wait. Maybe this wasn't a good idea.
Rocky Mountain High
John Denver
Words by John Denver; Music by John Denver and Mike Taylor
He was born in the summer of his 27th year
Comin' home to a place he'd never been before
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again
You might say he found a key for every door
When he first came to the mountains his life was far away
On the road and hangin' by a song
But the string's already broken and he doesn't really care
It keeps changin' fast and it don't last for long
But the Colorado rocky mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
The shadow from the starlight is softer than a lullabye
Rocky mountain high
He climbed cathedral mountains, he saw silver clouds below
He saw everything as far as you can see
And they say that he got crazy once and he tried to touch the sun
And he lost a friend but kept his memory
Now he walks in quiet solitude the forest and the streams
Seeking grace in every step he takes
His sight has turned inside himself to try and understand
The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake
And the Colorado rocky mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply
Rocky mountain high
Now his life is full of wonder but his heart still knows some fear
Of a simple thing he cannot comprehend
Why they try to tear the mountains down to bring in a couple more
More people, more scars upon the land
And the Colorado rocky mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
I know he'd be a poorer man if he never saw an eagle fly
Rocky mountain high
It's Colorado rocky mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
Friends around the campfire and everybody's high
Rocky mountain high
I always thought it was the "high feeling" of being around the beautiful Colorado scenery myself, but I can see how it could be misinterpreted.
i agree.
i had mixed emotions while growing up in colorado about john.
what was his real name? "denver" he stole from the city and county of denver.
as a person i thought he was a jerk.
As for the Algorish lyrics......whatever floats one's boat.
the word "high" does refer to drugs... "the joint resolution."
.
I've always heard wonderful tings about John and the way he treated his fans. Never once heard anyone refer to him as a jerk.
I saw an interview with George Burns shortly after the movie came out and he was telling the interviewer "They cast me for the role of God in the film because I'm the closest actor to his age."
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