He recorded and performed primarily with an acoustic guitar and sang about his joy in nature, his disdain for city life, his enthusiasm for music, and his relationship trials. Denver's music appeared on a variety of charts, including country music, the Billboard Hot 100, and adult contemporary, in all earning him twelve gold and four platinum albums with his signature songs "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "Annie's Song", "Rocky Mountain High", "Thank God I'm a Country Boy", and "Sunshine on My Shoulders".
Denver starred in films and several notable television specials in the 1970s and 1980s. He continued to record in the 1990s, also focusing on environmental issues by lending vocal support to space exploration and testifying in front of Congress in protest against censorship in music. He lived in Aspen, Colorado for much of his life and was known for his love of Colorado which he sang about numerous times. In 1974 Denver was named poet laureate of the state. The Colorado state legislature also adopted "Rocky Mountain High" as one of its two state songs in 2007. Denver was an avid pilot and died at the age of 53 in a single-fatality crash of his personal experimental aircraft.
Grandma
John Denver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We used to go down to grandma's house every month end or so
We'd have chicken pie, country ham
Homemade butter on the bread
But the best darn thing about grandma's house
Was the great big feather bed
It was nine feet high and six feet wide
It was made from the feathers of forty 'leven geese
Took a whole bolt of cloth for the tick
It could hold eight kids and four hound dogs
And a piggy we stole from the shed
We didn't get much sleep but we had a lot of fun
On grandma's feather bed
After supper we'd sit around the fire, the old folks'd spit and chew
Pa would talk about the farm and the war
And granny'd sing a ballad or two
And I'd sit and listen and watch the fire till the cobwebs filled my head
Next thing I'd know I'd wake up in the morning
In the middle of the old feather bed
It was nine feet high and six feet wide
And soft as a downy chick
It was made from the feathers of forty 'leven geese
Took a whole bolt of cloth for the tick
It could hold eight kids and four hound dogs
And a piggy we stole from the shed
We didn't get much sleep but we had a lot of fun
On grandma's feather bed
Well, I love my ma and I love my pa, I love granny and grandpa too
I've been fishin' with my uncles, I wrestled my cousin
I even kissed Aunt Lou, ew!
But if I ever had to make a choice I guess it oughta be said
That I'd trade them all plus the gal down the road
For grandma's feather bed
I'd trade them all plus the gal down the road
It was nine feet high and six feet wide
And soft as a downy chick
It was made from the feathers of forty 'leven geese
Took a whole bolt of cloth for the tick
It could hold eight kids and four hound dogs
And a piggy we stole from the shed
We didn't get much sleep but we had a lot of fun
On grandma's feather bed
We didn't get much sleep but we had a lot of fun
On grandma's feather bed
"Grandma's Feather Bed" is a song by John Denver about his childhood memories of visiting his grandmother's house. The song talks about the joy of spending time with family, enjoying home-cooked meals, and sleeping on the great big feather bed. The lyrics use humor to describe the bed's immense size and comfort. The song also touches on the importance of family bonds and the memories that are created in childhood that last a lifetime.
The lyrics of "Grandma's Feather Bed" paint a picture of the warmth and love that can be found in a family home. The family gathers around the fire after dinner to listen to stories and sing songs. The feather bed is the centerpiece of the bedroom, providing a comfortable and fun place for the children to sleep. The lyrics show how happy memories of childhood can bring a sense of comfort and joy long into adulthood.
In conclusion, "Grandma's Feather Bed" is a nostalgic and sweet song that captures the essence of family and the meaning of cherished childhood memories.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a little bitty boy just up off the floor
As a child, I was small and young.
We used to go down to grandma's house every month end or so
We frequently visited our grandmother's home.
We'd have chicken pie, country ham
We enjoyed delicious food like chicken pie and country ham.
Homemade butter on the bread
We had fresh homemade butter on our bread.
But the best darn thing about grandma's house
Was the great big feather bed
The most enjoyable part of going to grandma's house was sleeping on her large and comfortable feather bed.
It was nine feet high and six feet wide
And soft as a downy chick
It was made from the feathers of forty 'leven geese
Took a whole bolt of cloth for the tick
The feather bed was an impressive nine feet high and six feet wide, made from the feathers of many geese and wrapped in a whole bolt of cloth.
It could hold eight kids and four hound dogs
And a piggy we stole from the shed
The feather bed was big enough to comfortably fit eight kids, four hound dogs, and even a pig that we had taken from the shed.
We didn't get much sleep but we had a lot of fun
On grandma's feather bed
While we didn't always get a lot of sleep on the feather bed, we had a lot of fun playing and spending time together.
After supper we'd sit around the fire, the old folks'd spit and chew
Pa would talk about the farm and the war
And granny'd sing a ballad or two
After dinner, we would gather around the fire and listen to the older folks tell stories about the farm and their experiences during the war. Our grandmother would also sing songs for us.
And I'd sit and listen and watch the fire till the cobwebs filled my head
Next thing I'd know I'd wake up in the morning
In the middle of the old feather bed
I would listen to the stories and watch the fire until I became sleepy, falling asleep in the middle of the comfortable feather bed.
Well, I love my ma and I love my pa, I love granny and grandpa too
I've been fishin' with my uncles, I wrestled my cousin
I even kissed Aunt Lou, ew!
Although I love my family and have many fond memories with them, nothing compares to the joy of spending time with my grandmother and sleeping on her feather bed.
But if I ever had to make a choice I guess it oughta be said
That I'd trade them all plus the gal down the road
For grandma's feather bed
If I were ever forced to choose, I would give up everything and everyone in my life, including the girl down the street, for the chance to sleep again in my grandmother's feather bed.
We didn't get much sleep but we had a lot of fun
On grandma's feather bed
Despite the lack of sleep, the joys of spending time with family and playing together made our visits to grandma's house and sleeping on her feather bed something that we looked forward to and cherished.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: JIM CONNOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ben - Moderator
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J Parker
SonicHits just gets worse and worse. Albums that don't play,songs that don't play, tracks that are NOT the named song or even the right artist, adverts that cover content and cause the site to interrupt and buffer inthe middle of songs. I've got to find a better music site!
@markbartlett6287
In 1973, when I was a lad of 10, I was at Denver Children's Hospital, recovering from heart surgery, when a nurse came by and said John Denver had just dropped by to do an impromptu concert for the kids. She asked if I'd like to go, and despite never having heard of him (our house was Classical music only) I said yes. They got me into a wheelchair and my mom headed me for the elevator.
Just as we were getting in, a young man with moppy hair and a guitar jogged up and asked if we were headed for the playroom. My mom told him we were, so he rode up with us. He did a great little concert for about 25 of us kids and probably 50 nurses. It was the first time I'd ever heard this song and I loved it.
Denver didn't have to do that concert. There was no press there and I don't know if anyone who wasn't there even heard about it, but he was just that kind of guy. He wanted to brighten the day of some kids that were dealing with health issues, and he did. R.I.P. John.
@kathy1013
What an awesome story. He was a wonderful person and so gifted. Great memory for you.
@LA-ue6ov
What a beautiful person he was. Everyone says so.
@broodyraccoon1
John didn't play music just BC the press was there. He was the Most Genuine person l have ever seen. I swear if he'd been out on the road with only a dog for company, he would have played for the dog..lol
@broodyraccoon1
No one has ever been able to tell what actually happened. But no matter what John was a Saint on Earth and that is FACT!!!
@karengilson3447
We saw him on the street in Boulder in the late 80's. He smiled and waved just like we were old friends.
@CarolanIvey
Wish I could be a fly on the wall in heaven, listening to John Denver and Gordon Lightfoot singing duets. :)
@TopJimmyWinn
There will never be another John Denver, amazing talent