1268 – John Denver – Rocky mountain high (1972)

Escrita por John Denver e Mike Taylor, foi gravada em agosto de 1972 e lançada em 15 de setembro de 1972 no disco de mesmo nome. Depois sairia em compacto em 30 de outubro de 1972 com Spring como Lado B. Se transformou em uma das duas canções oficiais do Estado do Colorado.

Chegou ao número 9 nos charts pop americanos e número 8 no Canada. Denver disse que levou 9 meses pra terminar de compor a canção. A Western Writers of America disse que era uma das 100 maiores canções de country de todos os tempos.

Tem a ver com a mudança de Denver pra Aspen, Colorado três antes antes.

A letra:

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 string's already broken and he doesn't really care
It keeps changing 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 (Colorado)

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 raining 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
Rocky mountain high
Rocky mountain high
Rocky mountain high
Rocky mountain high
Rocky mountain high

A versão de John Denver:

A versão de Mike Sinatra:

A versão de Carly Lackey: