51 years ago today, John Denver, Bill Danoff, and Mary “Taffy” Nivert completed the writing of one of the most significant songs in our state’s history.
Since its 1971 release, John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” has become synonymous not only with the songwriter himself, but also with the rolling mountains and painted skies by which it was inspired. The song has developed deep roots in the Mountain State, but its origins may come as a surprise to some.
The song – commonly and affectionately referred to simply as “Country Roads” – was quickly embraced by the West Virginia Mountaineers organization as their theme song, and the tune has been played consistently at each home pre-game show since 1972. In 2014, the West Virginia Legislature legitimized “Country Roads” status as a symbol of the state, resolving to declare it an official state song. Peculiarly enough, the song originally wasn’t intended to be about West Virginia at all.
The song’s compositional beginnings actually predate John Denver’s involvement altogether, and can be traced back to a couple traversing a highway in Maryland in 1970. The couple in question were Bill Danoff and Mary Catherine “Taffy” Nivert, who would marry in 1972 and would go on to form the Starland Vocal Band in 1976, scoring a hit with Danoff’s “Afternoon Delight.”
The “country road” that initially sparked the inspiration for the song was Clopper Road in Montgomery County, Maryland. Danoff, who is purported to have been riding shotgun and playing his guitar, began piecing together lyrical and melodic ideas based on the scenery around him, as well as his own experiences. Having grown up in Springfield, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C., respectively, neither Danoff nor Nivert had ever actually set foot in West Virginia prior to penning the song. In fact, John Denver himself would never experience the state which inspired the Billboard hit until after the song’s release.
It was when Danoff was searching for a location to rhythmically fit the song’s meter that West Virginia revealed itself to be just what the doctor ordered. The placeholder lyric in the chorus originally was Danoff’s home-state of Massachusetts, as the four-syllable framework of the word fit the delivery of the chorus. It was ultimately decided, however, that West Virginia would serve as the basis of the song, and that subsequent additions would complement the theme. The couple completed the bulk of the song and had made the decision to pitch the tune to Johnny Cash before fate intervened.
During this time, Danoff and Nivert were performing as a duo under the name Fat City, and had secured a string of December dates at The Cellar Door music venue in Washington, D.C. John Denver was the headliner at these shows, and the three became friendly, ultimately convening at the couple’s apartment to play music following one such show. It was here that Denver was introduced to “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” which at the time was still missing a bridge section. Denver took to the song immediately, insisting it be included on his upcoming album, and the three worked into the early morning hours completing the song. Denver’s recording of the song was released as a single, and though its chart ascension was initially quite gradual, the tune eventually reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
“Country Roads” has become a platinum-selling record since its early-70s release, and continues to spread word of the Mountain State’s wonder and beauty around the country and around the world. Fate is a fickle thing, and even the most miniscule of changes can make a world of difference in the grand scheme of things. So as we reflect on the creation of what is perhaps the most important song in our state’s history, let us collectively thank our lucky stars that Bill Danoff thought better of going with “Massachusetts” for the lyric on that fateful day.
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