"Eclipse" by John Denver, Album: Back Home Again (1974)

The sun is slowly fading in the western sky
Sometimes it takes forever for the day to end
Sometimes it takes a lifetime
Sometimes I think I’ll never see the sun again

In the east a shaded moon is hanging lazily
I do believe I saw the old man smile
I do believe I did
I do believe he’s been hanging all the while

I think its kind of interesting the way things get to be
The way that people work with their machines
Serenity’s a long time coming to me
The fact I don’t believe I know what it means

There’s a heavy smog between me and my mountains
Its enough to make a grown man sit and cry
Its enough to make you wonder
Its enough to make the world roll up and die

I think its kind of interesting the way things get to be
The way that people work with their machines
Serenity’s a long time coming to me
The fact I don’t believe I know what it means any more

When the sun is slowly fading in the western sky
Sometimes it takes forever the day to end
Sometimes it takes a lifetime
Sometimes I think I’ll never see the sun again
Sun again

This song is about the smoggy polluted atmosphere in urban environments. As a J. Denver's fan wrote:

Eclipse features a clarinet and a percussion whose sound resembles that of a clock pendulum. The lyrics illustrate the negative effects of industrial emissions not only on the Earth but also on the narrator. As the sun gradually sets, he realizes that the smoggy air eclipses his view of the mountains. Sometimes he fears he'll "never see the sun again," perhaps due to air thick enough with pollution to block the sun. “it's enough to make the world roll up and die”.

You can hear this song in youtube

"Windsong" by John Denver, album: Windsong(1975)

The wind is the whisper of our mother the earth
The wind is the hand of our father the sky
The wind watches over our struggles and pleasures
The wind is the goddess who first learned to fly

The wind is the bearer of bad and good tidings
The weaver of darkness, the bringer of dawn
The wind gives the rain, then builds us a rainbow
The wind is the singer when sang the first song

The wind is a twister of anger and warning
The wind brings the fragrance of freshly mown hay
The wind is a racer, a wild stallion running
The sweet taste of love on a slow summers day

The wind knows the songs of the cities and canyons
The thunder of mountains, the roar of the sea
The wind is the taker and giver of mornings
The wind is the symbol of all that is free

So welcome the wind and the wisdom she offers
Follow her summons when she calls again
In your heart and your spirit let the breezes surround you
Lift up your voice then and sing with the wind

We read about this song here:

Windsong is a taken from the album of the same name and is about communing with nature, a tribute to the natural force and quality of the wind. “The wind is the symbol of all that is free”

You can hear this song in youtube

“Rocky Mountain High” by John Denver, Album: Rocky Mountain High (1972)

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,
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 changin' fast, and it don't last for long.

It's a Colorado Rocky Mountain High,
I've seen it raining fire in the sky
The shadows from the starlight are softer than a lullabye.
Rocky Mountain High, ...in Colorado....
Rocky Mountain High.

He climbed cathedral mountains, he saw silver clouds below,
saw everything as far as you can see.
And they say that he got crazy once and that 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 stream,
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, ....in Colorado....
Rocky Mountain High.

Now his life is full of wonder,
but his heart still knows some fear,
of the simple things 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.

It's the Colorado Rocky Mountain High,
I've seen it raining fire in the sky
I know he'd be a poorer man if he never saw an Eagle fly
Rocky mountain high
It's the Colorado Rocky Mountain High,
I've seen it raining fire in the sky.
Friend around the camp fire and everybody's high....
Rocky Mountain High, Rocky Mountain High,

A song about a man who goes to live in nature and especially in a mountainous area, where he lives a new spiritual condition: the relation with nature, but he realizes that humans not only cause destruction to this wildlife, but even as tourists and visitors. More people, more scars upon the land. A similar view is expressed in his similar song we have already presented Rocky Mountain Suite.

You can hear this song in youtube

Eagle And The Hawk By John Denver, Album: Aerie (1971)

Ohhhhhh,

I am the Eagle,
I live in high country,
The rocky cathedrals that reach to the sky.

I am the Hawk,
And there's blood on my feathers,
But time is still turning,
They soon will be dry.

And all those who see me,
And all who believe in me,
Share in the freedom I feel when I fly!

Come dance with the west wind,
And touch on the mountain tops,
Sail over the canyons,
And up to the stars.

And reach for the heavens,
And hope for the future,
And all that we can be,
Not just what we are...

A John Denver's fan wrote about this song:

The Eagle And The Hawk was written as a theme song for a documentary The Eagle and the Hawk featuring Morley Nelson an ornithologist. John joined Nelson in a campaign to restore a Red-tailed Hawk and a Bald Eagle back to health. It starts quietly building up to crescendos in imitation of the eagle soaring upwards. “Reach for the heavens, and hope for the future, and all that will be, not what we are”.

You can hear this song in youtube

“To the wild country” by John Denver, Album: I Want To Live (1977)

There are times I fear I lose myself
I don’t know who I am
I get caught up in the struggle and the strain
With my back against a stonewall
My finger in the dam
Losin’ strength and goin’ down again

And I take a look around me
My eyes can’t find the sun
There’s nothing wild as far as I can see
Then my heart turns to Alaska
And freedom on the run
I can hear her spirit callin’ me

To the mountains, I can rest there
To the rivers, I will be strong
To the forest, I’ll find peace there
To the wild country, where I belong

Oh, I know some times I worry
On worldly ways and means
And I can see the future killing me
On a misbegotten highway
Of prophecies and dreams
A road to nowhere and eternity

And I know it’s just changes
Yes, and mankind marchin’ on
I know we can’t live in yesterday
But compared to what were losin’
And what it means to me
I’d give my life and throw the rest away

To the mountains, I can rest there
To the rivers, I will be strong
To the forest, I’ll find peace there
To the wild country, where I belong
To the wild country, where I belong

A song written for Alaskan landscape. It's a vision of ecsaping from the frustrating every day life.

You can hear this song in youtube and live here

"Rocky mountains suite" by John Denver Album: Farewell Andromeda (1973)

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 one a beginner
Just wanting to be there and wanting to know
And together they're trying to tell us a story
That should have been listened to long long ago

Now 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 sky
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

An hymn for the mountains and their wilderness, but there is also a warning for the dangers by touristic development, construction of accomodations and presence of too much people, pressures that sensitive mountainous ecosystems can't withstand.

We read about this song in cdciao:

Rocky Mountain Suite (cold nights in Canada) is a warning of the danger of the ever-expanding population, urbanisation and industrialisation. It was written for a documentary in which John and Canadian Mounty, Tommy Tompkins went in search of the lost herds of bighorn sheep, “living in danger from too many people, too many machines”. Rocky Mountain relays a similar message by emphasizing the natural qualities of the mountains “more people, more scars upon the land”

You can hear this song in youtube

Album: "Earth songs" by John Denver (1993)

"Earth Day Every Day (Celebrate)"

Celebrate morning—
The cry of a loon on a lake in the night,
The dreams that are born in the dawn's early light . . .
Celebrate morning.

Celebrate living—
The laughter that sings in the heart of a child,
The freedom that flies at the call of the wild . . .
Celebrate living.

Celebrate evening—
The stars that appear in the loss of the sun,
Whispering winds, 'We are one, we are one' . . .

CHORUS
Celebrate Earth Day, every day,
Celebrate Earth Day, every day . . .
Celebrate land and sea,
Celebrate you and me—
Celebrate Earth Day, every day . . .


Ravens child

Ravens child
Is chasing salvation
Black beak turned white
From the crack and the snow
On the streets of despair
The answer is simple
A spoonful of mercy
Can set free the soul

The drug king sits
On his arrogant throne
Away and above and apart
Even children
Are twisted to serve him
And greed has corrupted
What once was a heart

Ravens child
Keeps vigil for freedom
Trades for the arms
That once made her strong
With nuclear warheads
And lasers in heaven
fear does the choosing
Between right and wrong

The arms king sits
On his arrogant throne
Away and above and apart
Bankers assure him
That he neednt care
And greed makes a stone of
What once was a heart

Ravens child
Is washing the water
All of her wing-feathers
Blackened with tar
Prince William shorelines
An unwanted highway
Of asphalt and anger
An elegant scar

The oil king sits
On his arrogant throne
Away and above and apart
Lawyers have warned him
He mustnt speak
And greed has made silent
What once was a heart

You know there are walls
That come tumbling down
For people who yearn to be free
Still there are hearts
That long to be opened
And eyes that are longing to see

Ravens child is our constant companion
Sticks like a shadow
To all that is done
Try as we may
We just cant escape him
The source of our sorrow and shame
We are one

The true King sits
On a heavenly throne
Never away nor above nor apart
With wisdom and mercy
And constant compassion
He lives in the love
That lives in our hearts

These previously unreleased songs were firstly appeared in this compilation album dedicated to environmental protection.

We read about this album in cdciao:

The album is a collection of songs written and performed by John Denver.
Denver performed at the Earth Day celebrations on April 22nd 1990 in Washington. He sang a selection of ecology-themed tunes, which he later recorded for the album Earth Songs. The proceeds from sales went to the National Wildlife Federation. The tracks chosen for the album reflect John Denver’s interest in nature.

John once said of his music, “My purpose in performing is to communicate the joy I experience in living”. His popularity soared and John began to express own feelings more through his songs. He was one of the first artists to share environmental message through his music. In a 1995 interview, Denver stated. "When I write a song, I want to take the personal experience or observation that inspired it and express it in as universal a way as possible. I'm a global citizen. I've created that for myself, and I don't want to step away from it. I want to work in whatever I do…towards a world in balance, a world that creates a better quality of life for all people."

In the same site you can read about the rest of the songs that are included and we have already presented or we are going to present later.

The second song written exactly after Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska)talks about lust for greed and power which is the source of any evil and disaster (drugs, war, environmental disaster, dictatorship, etc) and the only solution is to awake and fight for the right and bring down not only the walls that separate us, but also the images of those who considered the kings of our times.

You can hear these songs in youtube:

Earth day everyday (Celebrate)

Ravens child with a very interesting video that follows the lyrics themes.

"The flower that shattered the stone" by John Denver, album: The Flower That Shattered the Stone (1990)

The Earth is our mother just turning around
With her trees in the forest and roots underground
Our father above us whos sigh is the wind
Paint us a rainbow without any end

As the river runs freely the mountain does rise
Let me touch with my fingers and see with my eyes
In the hearts of the children of pure love still roams
Like a bright star in heaven that lights our way home
Like the flower that shattered the stone

Sparrows find freedom beholding the sun
In the engine and beauty were all joined in one
I reach out before me and look to the sky
Then I hear someone whisper its something pass by

As the river runs freely the mountain does rise
Let me touch with my fingers and see with my eyes
In the hearts of the children of pure love still roams

Like a bright star in heaven that lights our way home
Like the flower that shattered the stone
Like a bright star in heaven that lights our way home
Like the flower that shattered the stone

A naturalistic relligious song that has metaphores (flower that shatters the stone) about the strength of love and non-violence towards power and violent forms of action

You can hear this song in youtube

Calypso by John Denver, Album: Windsong (1975)

To sail on a dream on a crystal clear ocean
To ride on the crest of the wild raging storm
To work in the service of life and the living
In search of the answers to questions unkown
To be part of the movement and part of the growing
Part of beginning to understand

Aye, Calypso, the places you've been to
The things that you've shown us
The stories you tell
Aye, Calypso, I sing to your spirit
The men who have served you
So long and so well

Like the dolphin who guides you
You bring us beside you
To light up the darkness and show us the way
For though we are strangers in your silent world
To live on the land we must learn from the sea
To be true as the tide
And free as a wind-swell
Joyful and loving in letting it be

Aye, Calypso, the places you've been to
The things that you've shown us
The stories you tell
Aye, Calypso, I sing to your spirit
The men who have served you
So long and so well

A song about the famous Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s research ship “Calypso” and it’s contribution to public knowledge and awareness of the importance of undersea life.
We read in wikipedia:

John Denver was a close friend of Jacques Yves Cousteau, and wrote another song about him but died shortly before the song was planned to be recorded. Calypso is the name of Jacques Cousteau's famous research boat that sailed around the world for oceanic conservation, but sunken shortly before Cousteau died.

Also in wikipedia, we can track the adventures of the vessel after the accident:

A barge accidentally rammed Calypso and sank her in the port of Singapore in 1996. She was raised, and towed to France. After a time in the port of Marseilles, she was towed to the basin of the Maritime Museum of La Rochelle in 1998, where she was intended to be an exhibit. A long series of legal and other delays kept any restoration work from beginning. At one time it was rumoured that Calypso had been sold to Carnival Cruise Lines for the symbolic sum of one Euro. Carnival stated that they intend to give the vessel a 1.3 million dollar restoration, and then likely moor her in the Bahamas as a museum ship. See this cyber diver news page for details of this plan and developments. At the end of 2006, most of the equipment had been removed from her upper decks, and she was unprotected from the elements. It was unclear what would become of this historic vessel.
Francine Cousteau has managed to organise the ship's restoration.[1] On October 11, 2007, the transfer of the ship to Concarneau started, where she will be restored at the Piriou Shipyard and transformed into a permanent exhibit

You can hear this song in youtube