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John Denver found international fame for being
an all-round top class singer-songwriter of the highest order
and though his high quality musicianship can never be doubted
it could be argued that it was his abilities as a lyricist,
with his easy turn of phrase and ability to know exactly what
words and images to use to convey what he wanted to say in
each of the hundreds of songs he wrote and recorded, that
really bought him to the attention of the record buying public
and turned him into the true superstar that he was.
Indeed it was his lyrics that gave him one, if not the most,
of the most unusual accolades of his highly distinguished
showbiz career. In 1975 at the height of his worldwide popularity
the then governor of Colorado, his by now adopted home state,
awarded Denver, who not only took his name from the state's
main city but was also by now living there also, the highly
prized accolade of being the state's first, and apparently
only!!, official poet laureate. There might be another way
or position of higher office to bestow upon a singer-songwriter
but it is very difficult to think of one. It could be said
then that Denver's lyrical abilities transcended his chosen
field of music and were on a greater plane to most of his
contemporaries, Denver was no hack lyricist he was a true
poet.
Though Denver was acknowledged as the legislator of millions
of apparently humdrum and ordinary lives and wrote simple
but highly effective lyrics to match and live up to the expectations
of his fans, he was also not above adding lyrical flourishes
and leaps of fantastical imagination to what one first inspection
appeared to be lyrics squarely rooted in the minute of All-American
living.
Denver always had the reputation of being a slightly old-fashioned
entertainer even during his heyday, a superstar of undoubted
popularity but even at his peak he was never considered hip
or of the time, the mid-seventies, he was at his most successful.
He always out of step of the latest trends and was consigned
to a margin of the music industry well away from the cool
young dudes. This was undoubtedly in part because of his sometimes
maudlin yet tender lyrics that whilst definitely going down
a bundle with a huge section of the record-buying public was
not being enjoyed by the youth, who preferred their lyrics
a little bit more visceral, dangerous and of now. And yet
for all that and despite his reputation as a troubadour and
his large constituency of fans well away from what was going
on in youth culture, Denver's lyrics were undoubtedly touched
by the hippie generation that first spawned him and was still
greatly influential when he was at his peak.
So maybe when listening to a Denver tune or reading one of
his lyrics maybe you should look beyond the easy listening
music and listen hard to the lyrics, you might be shocked
at how relevant he was and how good a lyricist he still is
and always will be.
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