"Take Me Home, Country Roads" (also known simply as "Country Roads") is a song by John Denver, originally released in April 1971. It would be featured on Denver's fourth studio album, Poems, Prayers & Promises. The song is considered a symbol of the state of West Virginia, becoming one of its four official state anthems in March 2014. Lana Del Rey released a cover of the song on December 1, 2023.
Background[]
On October 13, 2022, a snippet of Del Rey's cover of the song leaked. It is speculated to be an outtake from the scrapped American Standards and Classics covers album.[S 1]
Courtney Love, once a friend of Del Rey's, stated in an interview with USA Today, "I haven't liked Lana since she covered a John Denver song, and I think she should really take seven years off. Up until 'Take Me Home Country Roads' I thought she was great."[1]
Live performance[]
Del Rey brought out Americana-folk duo The Secret Sisters and American country music artist George Birge to perform "Take Me Home, Country Roads" live for the first ever time on April 25, 2025, at Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California, as part of the 2025 Tour.
Lyrics[]
Almost Heaven, West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, growing like a breeze
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads
All my memories gather 'round her
Miner's lady, stranger to blue water
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky
Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye
Country roads, take mе home
To the place I bеlong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads
I hear her voice in the morning hour, she calls me
Radio reminds me of a home far away
Drivin' down the road, I get a feeling that I
Should've been home yesterday, yesterday
Country roads, take me home
To the place that I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads
Take me home, down country roads
Take me home, down country roads
Credits[]
Personnel[a]
- Bill Danoff — composer
- John Denver — composer
- Taffy Nivert — composer
- Lana Del Rey — vocals
- Zach Dawes — production, electric bass, background vocals, mixing
- Dennis Crouch — double bass
- Russ Pahl — pedal steel
- Drew Erickson — piano
- Micah Hulscher — Wurlitzer organ
- Dash Hutton — background vocals
- Evan Weiss — background vocals
- Maxim Ludwig — background vocals
- Tyler Parkford — background vocals
- Sean Cook — recording
- Dean Reid — mixing, recording
- Ruairí O'Flaherty — mastering
References[]
- ↑ Stahl, Jay (April 16, 2024). "Courtney Love slams female music artists: 'Taylor Swift is not important'". USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2024/04/16/courtney-love-music-taylor-swift-madonna-beyonce/73343411007/. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- ↑ "Credits / Take Me Home, Country Roads / Lana Del Rey". Tidal. https://listen.tidal.com/album/331637753/credits. Retrieved May 10, 2024.