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Real Lyrics -> Real Places Mentioned in Songs -> John Denver

What real life locations are mentioned in songs, band names or album titles?

Real Places Mentioned in Songs, John Denver

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An Evening with John Denver album at Amazon.com
John Denver's, "Alaska and Me"
The Lyrics:
Here's to Alaska, here's to the people,
Here's to the wild and here's to the free.
Here's to my life in a chosen country,
Here's to Alaska and me.
Why:
This whole song is about Alaska, the USA's largest state with many beautiful mountains. John Denver often sang about the natural beauty all around the world.
Submitted by: Julian
John Denver's, "Blow Up Your TV (Spanish Pipe Dream)"
The Lyrics:
And I was just a soldier on my way to Montreal.
Why:
The city of Montreal, Quebec Canada.
Submitted by: Edward
John Denver's, "City of New Orleans"
The Lyrics:
Riding on the City of New Orleans, Illinois Central, Monday morning rail (later) All along the southbound odyssey, the train pulls out of Kankakee (later) Nighttime on the City of New Orleans, changing cars in Memphis, Tennessee Halfway home and we'll be there by morning, through the Mississippi darkness, rolling down to the sea
Why:
All of these lyrics are about the City of New Orleans, a train that goes from Chicago, Illinois to New Orleans, Louisiana; and the various stops on the journey: Kankakee is a city just south of Chicago, Memphis is about halfway, and the journey would have to pass through some part of Mississippi.
Submitted by: Julian
John Denver's, "Flying for Me"
The Lyrics:
And I wanted to wish on the Milky Way and dance upon a falling star
I wanted to give myself and free myself and join myself with it all
Given the chance to dream, it can be done, the promise of tomorrow is real
Children of spaceship Earth, the future belongs to us all
Why:
Earth is very much a real place, and it's in the Milky Way galaxy. The Milky Way has millions of stars which could be wished on.
Submitted by: Julian
John Denver's, "I'm Sorry"
The Lyrics:
I'm Sorry for the way things are in China.
Why:
The Communist country of China. During that time, China was in turmoil and many Chinese were being tortured. This wouldn't be the case now because China is starting to become an Industrious Nation.
Submitted by: Paul Warren
John Denver's, "On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe"
The Lyrics:
And they'll all want a lift to Brown's Hotel, 'cause lots of them been traveling for quite a spell all the way from Philadelphia on The Atchison, Topeka and The Santa Fe. All aboard, all aboard, oo oo oo. Let her rip, let her rip, Mr. Engineer, Gotta go, gotta go far away from here. While the man at the fire shovels in the coals, stick your head out the cab and watch the drivers roll. See the towns and the roads go a whizzing by, Fare thee well Laramie and Rocky Mountain High, Yes sirree, here we are, going all the way, mustn't quit till we hit California.
Why:
This classic song about a major railroad mentions the three cities the railway originally served: Atchison, KS, Topeka, KS, and Santa Fe, NM. John Denver's version also mentions Philadelphia, PA, Laramie, WY, and California, various locations around the USA that a train traveler might visit.
Submitted by: Julian
John Denver's, "Postcard from Paris"
The Lyrics:
Dear friend of mine, the weather's fine
Today I saw some ruins of the Roman world's decline
And I climbed all those Spanish steps, you've heard of them, no doubt
But Rome has lost its glory, I don't know what it's about
I make my way to a small cafe, I wonder what you did today
Wish you were here, dear one at home, I just flew in from Rome
And Paris is a postcard, all decked out in color chrome
And so I climbed the Eiffel Tower and prayed at Notre Dame
But I just can't find the romance and I wonder why I came
Why:
Mentions two real places: Rome, with its many ruins and monuments including the Spanish Steps, and Paris, with landmarks including the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame Cathedral (RIP 1260-2019). Both cities are among the top tourist destinations in the world and are completely overstated, so some people become disappointed when they visit.
Submitted by: Julian
John Denver's, "Rocky Mountain High"
The Lyrics:
Oh, the Colorado Rocky Mountain High
Why:
Refers to the U.S. State of Colorado, and the Rocky Mountains, which reach their greatest heights there.
Submitted by: Penelope Beckinsale
John Denver's, "Rocky Mountain Suite (Cold Nights in Canada)"
The Lyrics:
Up in a meadow in Jasper, Alberta
Two men and four ponies on a long, lonesome ride.
Why:
Jasper is in the Canadian Rockies, and John Denver was always very transparent about his love for the outdoors and nature in general, as well as the Rockies in particular.
Submitted by: Jeremy Hoegg
John Denver's, "Saturday Night In Toledo, Ohio"
The Lyrics:
Just two lonely truckers from Great Falls, Montana
Why:
Refers to Great Falls, Montana.
Submitted by: Penelope Beckinsale
John Denver's, "Saturday Night In Toledo, Ohio"
The Lyrics:
Saturday night in Toledo, Ohio is like being nowhere at all.
Why:
Refers to Toledo, Ohio.
Submitted by: Penelope Beckinsale
John Denver's, "Shanghai Breezes"
The Lyrics:
And the Moon and the stars are the same ones you see it's the same old sun up in the sky And your voice in my ear is like heaven to me like the breezes here in old Shanghai
Why:
"Shanghai Breezes" was a later Top 40 hit for John Denver (in 1982). Besides the city of Shanghai (in China) that is in the chorus as I have posted above and also in the title of the tune, there is also again a mention of the Earth's only natural satellite, the Moon and the sun.
Submitted by: Peter
John Denver's, "Take Me Home, Country Roads"
The Lyrics:
Almost Heaven, West Virginia,
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River.
Why:
Some would dispute whether Heaven is a real place or not, but West Virginia certainly is. It is a U.S. State. The Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River are also real places. Incidentally, the Blue Ridge Mountains just barely enter West Virginia, at its easternmost tip, but that is also where the Shenandoah River briefly crosses that state. "Blue Ridge" refers to a geological province that extends from southern Pennsylvania to northwest Georgia. The northern part of that province in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and most of the way through Virginia is often quite narrow, sometimes only a single ridge. Further south, the Blue Ridge province widens, dominating the portion of the Appalachian mountains in the Carolinas. Therein, the Appalachians reach their highest point, at North Carolina's Mt. Mitchell. The Blue ridge province is dominated by metamorphic rocks. To its west are other geologic provinces, dominated by sedimentary rocks. It is those latter provinces of the Appalachians that far and away dominate the "Mountain State" of West Virginia.
Submitted by: Penelope Beckinsale
John Denver's, "To The Wild Country"
The Lyrics:
Then my heart turns to Alaska and freedom on the run.
Why:
Here John Denver references through the song his love for Alaska's wild country in the mountains, rivers, and forest.
Submitted by: Devon
John Denver's, "Wild Montana Skies"
The Lyrics:
Oh Montana, give this child a home.
Give him the love of a good family and a woman of his own.
Give him a fire in his heart, give him a light in his eyes,
give him the wild wind for a brother and the wild Montana Skies.
Why:
This song mentions Montana, a large rural state in the USA, and its title is a reference to Montana's nickname, "Big Sky Country".
Submitted by: Julian

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