Today's John Denver's 70th birthday, if he was alive. I still remember the day I heard his song for the first time from his best album that my father got, who is also a fan of country music.
Even though I then had studied English for a year or two, his songs with simple, direct, and beautiful words talked straight to my heart. It was amazing how vividly I could picture the beauty of nature he sang about. His cheerful and soft characteristic voice was a perfect match with his acoustic guitar, and the emotions he got in his songs - they always stunned me.
John's songs resonated with me this much because I grew up in the countryside with mountains and the ocean, and loved to be in nature. It felt so soothing and secure to be surrounded by plants and animals, to gaze at the stars, to feel the wind, to smell the rain, and to watch the sky change its colours in twilight. I once dreamed about being a tree doctor or a landscape photographer. Today, listening to his songs still reminds me of my country home.
I can't remember which I learned first - that he wrote a song "Leaving on a jet plane" and that he died in a private jet plane crash. I can't find a word to describe this feeling. Just so, so unfortunate. And, the song that says he would be leaving on a jet plane but would come back, can feel chokingly painful. He left us so many great songs, nonetheless, and they are still alive after 50 so years.
His wife, Annie, was on the interview. I cannot imagine devastating it was to lose him like that. But she looked okay when she was talking about sweet memories with him. But deep down, it is only her that knows her true feelings, and whether to show them or not is up to her.
It was a good coincidence that I turned on my TV on a whim today, found this documentary about John Denver, and learned that it was his 70th birthday. Happy birthday, John, I can't believe I was a middle school student in a small town in Japan when your songs first touched my heart and now I am living in the US pursuing my graduate degree, enjoying the beauty of nature myself that you cherished. Still love your songs, always.
