BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – On Sunday, Dec. 29, West Virginia celebrated a very special birthday.
On Dec. 29, 1970, John Denver, Bill Danoff, and Taffy Nivert completed the writing of the song “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, having no idea the mark it would leave on history, or the cultural impact it would have on the state of West Virginia.
Dec. 29, 2024 marks 54 years since its completion, and nearly 10 years of West Virginia claiming it as an official state song.
“Take Me Home, Country Roads” became an integral part of West Virginia’s identity, nestling its way into football games, pop culture references, and everything in-between.
The song is a known crowd-pleaser, says a local Virginia band who performs “Country Roads”. Called 12 Strings and the Truth, the band say they find the song meaningful.
“It’s very meaningful, you know, especially when you get to see the reaction of the West Virginians…” said Jeremy Hess, Guitarist and Backup Singer for 12 Strings and the Truth, “…and sing back and sing along with you, it’s really cool to see that.”
The song is often seen as a source of pride amongst residents of the state, and is often used in the promotion of tourism, with H.G. Young III at the West Virginia Encyclopedia writing:
Though it has found a home in the hearts of West Virginians, it didn’t become official until less than a decade ago.
It wasn’t until March of 2014 that the song became acknowledged as an official state song, an effort assisted by Dreama Denver, a Princeton resident and producer of Little Buddy Radio, which kickstarted the drive for Country Roads to be officially integrated into the list of West Virginia’s state songs. In writing, Denver elaborates:
More than 5 decades after the song’s completion, the impact and popularity remains in many ways the same. Justin Mullins, Lead Singer and Guitar Player for 12 Strings and the Truth, said that songs don’t simply just get old.
“Songs stand the test of time, you know what I mean? They don’t ever get old… classics are classics no matter how long it takes,” said Mullins.
For more information on the history of the song, you can read about it on The West Virginia Encyclopedia Online. To learn more about 12 Strings and the Truth, you can find them on Facebook.
Happy birthday to “Take Me Home, Country Roads”!
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