My Ten Favorite Boy Songs: Thank God I'm a Country Boy (#10)

Tweet

I'm in Indianapolis, about to head to Chicago for a concert. My abusive "friend" Cy Attica isn't stopping this one! In a minute I'll post my favorite "girl" song, but before that is done, I'm ready to start the countdown of the boys! #10: Thank God I'm a Country Boy - John Denver Yeah, go ahead, laugh. If I were to make a list of my biggest "guilty pleasure" songs this one would be on the list. Henry John Deutschendorf, much better known as John Denver, had a varied career. He was a folk singer at one point, a member of the Chad Mitchell Trio (well, he replaced Chad Mitchell, so it was hardly the Chad Mitchell Trio at that point! ) and wrote the iconic folk song "Leavin' on a Jet Plane," a hit for Peter, Paul, & Mary. He was also a pop superstar, with hits like "I'm Sorry," "Calypso," and "Annie's Song." Then there was the "country" side of John Denver: songs like "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and this one earned him several country awards. Most significant and controversial was the 1975 CMA award for "Entertainer of the Year," when a rather intoxicated Charlie Rich (who was hardly the bastion of traditional country music, if you think about it) opened the "entertainer of the year" envelope, saw Denver's name, and lit the envelope on fire. I can't say I'd disagree with Rich....but I'd vote for John Denver for the Country Music Hall of Fame before Charlie Daniels (who was inducted last year)! As for this song, it was originally recorded on Back Home Again, but it was the live version that became a huge hit, topping both the country and pop charts in 1975. (That was a pretty interesting year for music: in addition to this song, BJ Thomas, Freddy Fender, and Glen Campbell also had #1 hits on both charts!) Yeah, it's hokey. It's not meant to be a love song like "Annie's Song" (which a friend of mine, who wasn't particularly fond of Denver, spoofed, "You fill up my senses like a knife in the forehead" ) or a song to honor someone like "Calypso" (which was a tribute to Jacques Cousteau). It was just meant to be a fun song. And it is. John Denver was killed in the crash of an experimental aircraft in October 1997 at the age of 53. He left a legacy of music that might not be everyone's taste, but most people can find something to their liking somewhere in his catalogue. Thank God I'm a Country Boy Written by John Martin Sommers Recorded by John Denver From Back Home Again, 1974 and An Evening With John Denver, 1975 Life ain't nothin' but a funny, funny riddle: