9. Faaaaaaar Out!

I tend to be a one musician at time person. I don't know if that is normal or not, but there you have it. After my fleeting interest in Jack Wild and before I discovered Kate Bush I was a huge John Denver fan. Like with Kate Bush, it was the lyrics that caught and held me. Except for hearing songs on the radio, practically the only music I listened to during that time was John Denver's music - the fact that I only had two of his albums meant that I listened to the same songs over and over and over...

One of my favorite songs on his Greatest Hits album was For Baby (For Bobbie). I pictured a man walking with his young son and showing him the wonders of nature. It was simple, and sweet and I liked it and made me think of what life would be like with a child of my own.

I remember seeing John Denver on a couple of TV specials, but the show that I remember the most was when he was on the Tonight Show - probably in 1973 or 1974. He may or may not have been wearing his signature glasses, but I suspect not. He was changing. When Johnny Carson (or Ed McMahon) urged him to say "Faaaaaaar Out!" he refused, saying, in essence, he was beyond that. I lost a little respect for him that night, and it was not much later that I put his albums away.

I never told too many people about my John Denver obsession - the ones I did, laughed at me. Still, when I hear a song that was on one of those two albums that I particularly liked, I usually smile and even tap my foot a little.