John Denver

[fox69]

"Rita Ballou"

"Rita Ballou"


She could dance and slow you 'bout, shuffle to some cowboy hustle.
How she made those trophy buckles shine, shine, shine.
Wild-eyed in Mexican silver, tricking dumb old cousin Willard
into thinking that he got her this time.

Hill country, honky-tonkin' Rita Ballou, every beer joint in town has played a fool for you.
Back sliding, barrel riding Rita Ballou, ain't a cowboy in Texas would not ride a bull for you.

She's a rawhide roping velvet mixture, walking, talking Texas texture,
high-timing, barroom fixture kind of a girl.
She's a queen of the cowboys, look at old Willard grinning now, boys,
you'd have thought there's less fools in this world.

Hill country, honky-tonkin' Rita Ballou, every beer joint in town has played a fool for you.
Back sliding, barrel riding Rita Ballou, ain't a cowboy in Texas would not ride a bull for you.

Good luck Willard, and here's to ya, and here's to Rita, I hope she'll do ya right all night.
But I wish I was a fool in your shoes.

Hill country, honky-tonkin' Rita Ballou, every beer joint in town has played a fool for you.
Back sliding, barrel riding Rita Ballou, ain't a cowboy in Texas would not ride a bull for you.
Lord, I wish I was in Texas, I would ride a bull for you.

 

[fox69]

"River"

"River"


River, there are no stars in the city. Here, there is no telephone in the trees.
Beautiful days fall on the water, and all I can do is write you a letter.
River, it's cold here in the morning. Later, I can see it in your eyes.
Wild and white, we follow the canyons. Quiet at night, we stare at the sky.
Leaving you now will never change me. Running away will change the view.
All I can see is the highway.

River, you will carry me through the fire. Maybe you'll drown me in your arms.
But if I die like that, it won't be like dying. When I rise again, the ashes are mine.

Leaving you now will never change me. Running away will change the view.
All I can see is the highway. All I can see is you.

 

[fox69]

"River Of Love"

"River Of Love"


All of my life I've been so happy while I have had you by my side.
Now you say you're gonna leave me for to become someone else's bride.
Oh, the river of love it has gone muddy and the flowers, they are dying on the shore.
And the blue skies have all turned to darkness and the nightingale will sing no more.

What can I do to hide my sorrow, what can I do to ease the pain?
How can I keep these tears from falling? Oh, darling, won't you come back home again?
Oh, the river of love it has gone muddy and the flowers, they are dying on the shore.
And the blue skies have all turned to darkness and the nightingale will sing no more.

Tomorrow I will take you to the station, I will see that you're safely on that train.
When the Two-Nineteen has parted, I'll never ever see your smile again.
Oh, the river of love it has gone muddy and the flowers, they are dying on the shore.
And the blue skies have all turned to darkness and the nightingale will sing no more.
And the blue skies have all turned to darkness and the nightingale will sing no more.

 

[fox69]

"Rocky Mountain High"

"Rocky Mountain High"


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.

 

[fox69]

"Rocky Mountain Suite (Cold Nights In Canada)"

"Rocky Mountain Suite (Cold Nights In Canada)"


Up in a meadow in Jasper, Alberta, two men and four ponies on a long lonesome ride.
To see the high country and learn of her people,
the ways that they lived there, the ways that they died.
And one is a teacher and one a beginner just wanting to be there and wanting to know.
And together they're trying to us a story that should have been listened to long, long ago.

How the life in the mountains is living in danger from too many people, too many machines.
And the time is upon us, today is forever, tomorrow is just one of yesterday's dreams.
Cold nights in Canada and icy blue winds, the man and the mountains are brothers again.
Clear waters are laughing, they sing to the skies. The Rockies are living, they never will die.

Up in a meadow in Jasper, Alberta, two men and four ponies on a long lonesome ride

 

[fox69]

"Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer"

"Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer"


Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows.
All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names,
they never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say,
"Rudolph with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"
Then all the reindeer loved him and they shouted out with glee,
"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, you'll go down in history."

Then one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say,
"Rudolph with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"
Then all the reindeer loved him and they shouted out with glee,
"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, you'll go down in history."
"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, you'll go down in history."

 

[fox69]

"Rusty Green"

"Rusty Green"


Rusty green, the summer's almost gone. I see winds clouding up the sun
And I can't find my way, everything's gray.

Rusty green eyes on my mind, memory someplace out of time
All the things we would do, I still love you.

It's a sad song to sing, painted rusty green. A green fading picture of spring.

 

[fox69]

"Sail Away Home"

"Sail Away Home"


Sail away, sail away home. Sail away till you are gone.
You have so far to go, there's so much that you don't know.
Dream away, see what you find, yeah. Dream away, it's all in your mind.
Things that you'd like to see, things that you'd like to be.

Don't you know, it seems so wrong, yeah. Don't you know, it's gone on too long.
I can't take the guns anymore, I can't take the screams anymore, I can't take the pain.
It's got to stop, it's got to change, it can't go on, it can't go on.

Don't you know, it's gone on to long, yeah. Don't you know, it seems so wrong.
I can't take the guns anymore, I can't take the screams anymore, I can't take the pain.
It's got to stop, it's got to change, it can't go on, it can't go on.

Find a way, I know you can. Find a way, I'll give you my hand,
We're on our way back home, we've been a long time gone.
Sail away, sail away home. Sail away, sail away home. Sail away, sail away home.

 

[fox69]

"San Antonio Rose"

"San Antonio Rose"


Deep within my heart lies a melody, a song of old San Antone,
where in dreams I live with a memory beneath the stars all alone.
It was there I found beside the Alamo, enchantment strange as the blue up above.
A moonlit pass that only she would know still hears my broken song of love.

Moon in all your splendor, hear only my heart. Call back my Rose, Rose of San Antone.
Lips so sweet and tender like petals falling apart, speak once again of my love, my own.
Broken song, empty words I know still live in my heart all alone.
For the moonlit pass by the Alamo and Rose, my Rose of San Antone.

Moon in all your splendor, hear only my heart. Call back my Rose, Rose of San Antone.
Lips so sweet and tender like petals falling apart, speak once again of my love, my own.
Broken song, empty words I know still live in my heart all alone.
For the moonlit pass by the Alamo and Rose, my Rose of San Antone.

 

[fox69]

"San Francisco Mabel Joy"

"San Francisco Mabel Joy"


His daddy was an honest man, just a red dirt Georgia farmer.
His mother lived her short life having kids and baling hay.
He had fifteen years and he ached inside to wander,
so he jumped a freight in Waycross and wound up in L.A.
The cold nights had no pity on that Waycross, Georgia farm boy.
Most days he went hungry, then the summer came.
He met a girl known on the Strip as San Francisco's Mabel Joy.
Destitution's child born of an L.A. street called shame.

Growing up came easy in the arms of Mabel Joy
Laughter found their mornings, brought a meaning to his life
Yes, the night before she left, sleep came and gave that Waycross country boy
a dream of Georgia cotton and a California wife.
Sunday morning found him standing 'neath the red light at her door,
when a right cross sent him reeling, put him face down on the floor
In place of Mabel Joy he found a merchant mad marine
who growled "Your Georgia neck is red, aw, but sonny, you're still green."

He turned twenty-one in a gray rock federal prison.
The old judge had no mercy for a Waycross country boy.
Staring at those four gray walls in silence,
Lord, he'd just listen for the midnight freight he knew could take him back to Mabel Joy.
Sunday morning found him lying 'neath the red light at her door,
with a bullet in his side he cried, "Have you seen Mabel Joy?"
Stunned and shaken, someone said, "Why she don't live here no more.
She left this house four years today, they say she's looking for some Georgia farm boy."