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.
Rhymes and Reasons
John Denver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the coming of the winter
Fear that is within you now
It seems to never end
And the dreams that have escaped you
And the hope that you've forgotten
You tell me that you need me now
And you wonder where we're going
Where's the rhyme and where's the reason
And it's you cannot accept
It is here we must begin
To seek the wisdom of the children
And the graceful way of flowers in the wind
[Chorus]
For the children and the flowers
Are my sisters and my brothers
Their laughter and their loveliness
Could clear a cloudy day
Like the music of the mountains
And the colours of the rainbow
They're a promise of the future
And a blessing for today
Though the cities start to crumble
And the towers fall around us
The sun is slowly fading
And it's colder than the sea
It is written from the desert
To the mountains they shall lead us
By the hand and by the heart
They will comfort you and me
In their innocence and trusting
They will teach us to be free
[Chorus]
And the song that I am singing
Is a prayer to non believers
Come and stand beside us
We can find a better way
The song "Rhymes and Reasons" by John Denver talks about sadness and fear that are deeply ingrained in our minds, especially during winter. The singer acknowledges the listener's despair and feelings of hopelessness as he tries to calm them down. He assures the listener that there is hope for a better future if one learns to seek the wisdom of children and the beauty of nature. The children and flowers are symbolic of hope and promise for a better future, full of laughter and loveliness. The chorus is an ode to the children and flowers, with their innocence and trust, teaching us how to be free while facing the uncertainty of the future.
The song warns us of the impending doom of cities crumbling around us and towers falling, but assures us that we can still find comfort in the arms of nature. The lyrics present a contrast between fear and hope, of uncertainty and the promise of a better future. The song ends with a plea to non-believers to stand with us in discovering a better way.
Line by Line Meaning
So you speak to me of sadness
You confide in me about the sorrow you feel
And the coming of the winter
You relate your fear of difficult times ahead
Fear that is within you now
You express your current state of being anxious
It seems to never end
Your distress appears to have no resolution
And the dreams that have escaped you
You mention the aspirations you haven't fulfilled
And the hope that you've forgotten
You reveal the optimism you've lost touch with
You tell me that you need me now
You request my support and company in your struggle
You want to be my friend
You express your desire to become closer to me
And you wonder where we're going
You ponder the direction and purpose of our lives
Where's the rhyme and where's the reason
You question the logic behind what's happening
And it's you cannot accept
You face challenges in facing reality
It is here we must begin
We need to start from where we are
To seek the wisdom of the children
We can benefit from the insight of youth
And the graceful way of flowers in the wind
We can learn from the nature around us
For the children and the flowers
Kids and plants symbolize purity and growth
Are my sisters and my brothers
We're all connected as a part of the same world
Their laughter and their loveliness
Their joy and beauty can brighten up a dreary day
Could clear a cloudy day
Their positivity has the power to uplift everything around them
Like the music of the mountains
The melody of nature can soothe our souls
And the colours of the rainbow
The spectrum of hues is a symbol of hope
They're a promise of the future
They indicate that there's good yet to come
And a blessing for today
And it's also a present gift to cherish
Though the cities start to crumble
Even when everything we've built falls apart
And the towers fall around us
And structures that once towered high crumble to the ground
The sun is slowly fading
The light may be diminishing, but it's not gone yet
And it's colder than the sea
The chill is deeply felt and pervasive
It is written from the desert
This message comes from a faraway, barren place
To the mountains they shall lead us
But it's leading us to a place high and untouched
By the hand and by the heart
Guided both physically and emotionally
They will comfort you and me
It will offer us solace and reassurance
In their innocence and trusting
By following pure, sincere beings
They will teach us to be free
We can learn how to liberate ourselves
And the song that I am singing
This piece of music that I am performing
Is a prayer to non believers
Is a message to those who don't believe
Come and stand beside us
Join us in our cause
We can find a better way
Together, we can improve our situation
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JOHN DENVER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ben - Moderator
Hey J Parker, Sorry to hear you're having these issues. Would you mind please emailing our support team an example album or track to support [at] sonichits.com?
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!