John Denver – Rocky Mountain High

“Rocky Mountain High” is a folk rock song written by John Denver and Mike Taylor about Colorado and is one of the two official state songs of Colorado. Recorded by Denver in 1972, it went to No. 9 on the US Hot 100 in 1973. Denver told concert audiences in the mid-1970s that the song took him an unusually long nine months to write. On April 10, 2017, the song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of 500,000 digital downloads.

Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.

From the album Rocky Mountain High
B-side “Spring”
Released October 30, 1972
Recorded August 1972
Genre Folk rock, country folk, country rock, soft rock
Length 4:43
Label RCA
Songwriter(s) John Denver, Mike Taylor
Producer(s) Milt Okun

John Denver – Rocky Mountain High Lyrics

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