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Straying contempt from my standard rock path, I’ve decided to focus this week’s short article on john Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane.” originally written and also recorded in 1966, the track was reintroduced into popular music culture when FOX’s “Glee” preformed a sheathe of the solitary in 2009. Tiptoeing the precarious line in between folk and also rock, “Leaving ~ above a Jet Plane” is able to squeeze right into the category of “Sort the Different, but Cool, Love Songs.” with this in mind, Denver’s incentive for creating this song is clear, and being put simply, is a song around the an overwhelming choice of whether or not to leaving his love one behind in order to pursue his career.

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As a result of being the child of a armed forces family, Denver spent the bulk of his childhood relocating from place to place. Likewise, attempting to do his means in life as a skilled musician, Denver was required to travel and live cross country, bouncing ago and forth in between lives and relationships that he had established. In his song, “Leaving ~ above a Jet Plane,” Denver sings about the obstacles that come with never ever being maybe to develop himself in one particular area and his longing because that a permanent home. In addition, the tune was influenced by Denver’s wife, Annie. Denver describes Annie together being the one person who ultimately grounded him in his life, and he felt that wherever she was, the was important his home.

With this in mind, leave behind the one place that that felt he truly belonged triggered many destructive habits in Denver including affairs, alcohol abuse, and drug dependency. In despite the of all of his flaws, “Leaving ~ above a Jet Plane,” to be written and recorded together one desperate effort to save his connection with Annie, his just true sense of foundation. In his song, Denver sings,

“There’s so many times I’ve let friend down, So plenty of times I’ve play around. I tell friend now, castle don’t median a thing. Ev’ry location I go, I’ll think that you, Ev’ry track I sing, I’ll song for you, as soon as I come back, I’ll wear her wedding ring.”

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In this straightforward plea, Denver forwardly admits to no being the ideal husband the he might be, but wants Annie to recognize that the will change everything in his life if just he deserve to be through her. There is no her, his life, together flawed and feeble together it might be, is completely lost.

Interestingly enough, “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” to be actually never intended for the general public audience. Man Denver himself personally taped the song and also published it through his very own money, distributing a select number of albums to only his the next family and also friends. It was not till the tune was accidently released and performed by multiple sheathe bands, consisting of the team Peter, Paul & Mary, that Denver actually began to preform and sell his unintended hit.

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Ultimately, “Leaving top top a Jet Plane,” deserve to be credited as one of Denver’s very first truly effective hits as an artist and was a leading pressure behind his popularity together a singer. Ironically enough, the revenue produced from this song about travel, love, and also inconsistency to be finally enough to enable Denver to purchase a permanent residence of his own, finally a place that he might label, “Home.”

Fun Fact: john Denver was born Henry john Deutschendorf Jr. But changed his name to be much more easily remembered together a singer and songwriter. He chose to take it the surname “Denver” together a way to honor his love because that the state that Colorado.