Annie's Song

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"Annie's Song"
Single by John Denver
from the album Back Home Again
Released June 1974
Format Vinyl record
Genre Rock, country
Length 2:58
Label RCA
Writer(s) John Denver
Producer Milt Okun
John Denver singles chronology
"Sunshine on My Shoulders"
(1973)
"Annie's Song"
(1974)
"Back Home Again"
(1974)

"Annie's Song" is a rock/country song recorded and written by singer-songwriter John Denver. It was his second number-one song in the United States, occupying that spot for two weeks in July 1974. "Annie's Song" also went to number one on the Easy Listening chart.[1] It went to number one in the United Kingdom, where it was Denver's only major hit single (many of Denver's American hits were more familiar in the UK through cover versions by other artists).

Contents

Inspiration

"Annie's Song" was written as an ode to Denver's wife at the time, Annie Martell Denver. Denver "wrote this song in about ten-and-a-half minutes one day on a ski lift" to the top of Ajax Mountain in Aspen, Colorado, as the physical exhilaration of having "just skied down a very difficult run" and the feeling of total immersion in the beauty of the colors and sounds that filled all senses inspired him to think about his wife.[2][3]

Liner notes

"Denver paid loving tribute to his wife by dedicating this album to her, and with 'Annie's Song,' a number one hit in July '74, Annie Denver recalls the beginnings: 'It was written after John and I had gone through a pretty intense time together and things were pretty good for us. He left to go skiing and he got on the Ajax chair on Aspen mountain and the song just came to him. He skied down and came home and wrote it down... Initially it was a love song and it was given to me through him, and yet for him it became a bit like a prayer.'

"'The first time I heard "Annie's Song," I told John it had the same melody as Tschaikovsky's "Fifth Symphony, Second Movement,"' says Milt Okun. 'He walked over to the piano, sat for an hour and came back, and the only thing remaining from Tschaikovsky was the first five notes. It was fantastic.'"[4]

Sheffield United

Its tune is used in the UK by "The Greasy Chip Butty Song", the main chant of fans of Sheffield United football club.

Chart performance

Chart (1974) Peak
position
Canadian RPM Top Singles 1
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary 1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 3
UK Singles Chart 1
US Billboard Hot 100 1
US Billboard Easy Listening 1
US Billboard Hot Country Singles 9
Preceded by
"Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas
UK number one single
12 October 1974 for one week
Succeeded by
"Sad Sweet Dreamer" by Sweet Sensation

See also

References

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 76. 
  2. ^ "Sold on Song - Top 100 - Number 50 - Annie's Song". bbc.co.uk. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/anniessong.shtml. 
  3. ^ "John Denver on writing Annie's Song" (RAM). bbc.co.uk. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/ram/anniessong_jdenver_ia.ram. 
  4. ^ Alfonso, Barry. (2005). Back Home Again (pp. 2-3) [CD Booklet]. New York City, NY: Sony BMG Music Entertainment.

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Copyrights:

Mentioned in

Annie's Song & Other Galway Favorites (1978 Album by James Galway)
Live (1997 Album by John Denver)
Reflections: Songs of Love & Life (1996 Album by John Denver)
Annie's Song (Classical Work)
The Best of John Denver Live (1997 Album by John Denver)