Thank God I'm a Country Boy
Encyclopedia
"Thank God I'm a Country Boy", also known as "Country Boy" is a song written by John Martin Sommers and recorded by American singer/songwriter John Denver
.
The song was originally included on Denver's 1974 album Back Home Again.
A version recorded live on August 26, 1974 at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles was included on his 1975 album An Evening With John Denver
.
The live version was released as a single and went to No. 1 on both the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles
and Billboard Hot 100
charts. The song topped both charts for one week each, first the country chart (on May 31), and the Hot 100 chart a week later.
"Thank God I'm a Country Boy" was one of six songs released in 1975 that topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Hot Country Singles charts. Denver's two-sided hit "I'm Sorry
"/"Calypso
" also received that distinction.
to Los Angeles
.
that is typical of Country-western two-step. The verses and the chorus both comprise thirteen two-beat measures where twelve might have been expected. Emotionally, this creates an intended slight stall, a musical oddity that means the song (unlike many others in 2/4) cannot be counted in 4/4.
John Denver
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success...
.
The song was originally included on Denver's 1974 album Back Home Again.
A version recorded live on August 26, 1974 at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles was included on his 1975 album An Evening With John Denver
An Evening with John Denver
An Evening With John Denver is a live album of music performed by American singer-songwriter John Denver. It was recorded at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, California in August and September 1974...
.
The live version was released as a single and went to No. 1 on both the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
and Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
charts. The song topped both charts for one week each, first the country chart (on May 31), and the Hot 100 chart a week later.
"Thank God I'm a Country Boy" was one of six songs released in 1975 that topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Hot Country Singles charts. Denver's two-sided hit "I'm Sorry
I'm Sorry (John Denver song)
"I'm Sorry" is a song written and recorded by American country-folk singer-songwriter John Denver. Released in 1975, it was his final number-one pop hit released during his career.-Chart performance:...
"/"Calypso
Calypso (song)
"Calypso" is a song written by John Denver in 1975 as a tribute to Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his research ship Calypso. The song was featured on Denver's 1975 album Windsong....
" also received that distinction.
Background
It was written by John Martin Sommers, a guitar/fiddle player in Denver's backup band, on December 31, 1973 (Denver's thirtieth birthday) when he was driving from his home in Aspen, ColoradoAspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Content
Sommers recalls that at the time he was feeling “peaceful, happy and content” with his lot in life, and started scribbling some notes about his blissful state along the way. They served as the inspiration for the song.Structure
The song is in the quick 2/4 time signatureTime signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
that is typical of Country-western two-step. The verses and the chorus both comprise thirteen two-beat measures where twelve might have been expected. Emotionally, this creates an intended slight stall, a musical oddity that means the song (unlike many others in 2/4) cannot be counted in 4/4.
John Denver version
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 5 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
Billy Dean version
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 27 |
Cover versions
- A cover version was released by country music artist Billy DeanBilly DeanWilliam Harold "Billy" Dean, Jr. is an American country music singer and songwriter. Billy Dean first gained national attention after appearing on the television talent competition Star Search...
in 2004; Dean's cover peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard U.S. Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. - A Western version was recorded by Alvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
for their 1981 album Urban ChipmunkUrban ChipmunkUrban Chipmunk was the first country album by Alvin and the Chipmunks, released on February 4, 1981. The title parodies the 1980 movie Urban Cowboy.-Side one:#"Thank God I'm a Country Boy" – 1:43...
. - Canadian country music artist Brad JohnerBrad Johner-Biography:Brad Johner grew up in Saskatchewan playing music in his family band. When he was 16, Brad won a National Talent Contest during Country Music Week in Hamilton in 1982. He spent 6 years maintaining his solo career before teaming up with his brother Ken to form The Johner Brothers in 1988...
did a cover on his 2003 album "FreeFree (Brad Johner album)Free is the first solo studio album by Canadian country music singer Brad Johner. It was released in Canada on February 11, 2003, by Royalty Records. "Hello", "Free", "Different", "The Farmer's Back" and "She Looks a Lot Like You" were released as singles....
". - Canadian Country rock group The Road HammersThe Road HammersThe Road Hammers was a Canadian Country music group composed of Jason McCoy, Clayton Bellamy and Chris Byrne. Formed by McCoy as a side project, the trio's music is influenced by 1960s and 1970s trucker music and Southern rock. Their first self-titled album included remakes of several classic...
recorded a version for their 2009 album "The Road Hammers IIThe Road Hammers IIThe Road Hammers II is the third and final studio album of Canadian country rock group The Road Hammers. Released on February 24, 2009 on Open Road Recordings, it is their second album to be released in Canada. Its first single, "Homegrown," has reached the Top 20 on the Canadian country music charts...
". - Hampton the Hampster performs a cover of the song on "Hampsterdance Hits" in 2001.
- Christian group Point of GracePoint of GracePoint of Grace is an all-female Contemporary Christian music group. The trio consists of Shelley Breen, Denise Jones, and Leigh Cappillino. The group started out as a quartet in 1991, with original members Breen and Jones, as well as Terry Jones and Heather Payne...
has been performing a cover of the song in recent concerts, calling it "Thank God I'm a Country Girl." - Australian Lee Kernaghan performs a cover of the song.
- Swedish eurodance/pop band RednexRednexRednex is a Swedish techno/folk/bluegrass band. They had an international novelty hit with the song "Cotton Eye Joe" in 1994. Although extremely popular in Germany, where the band holds the record of most total weeks at No.1 on the German singles chart over the past 30 years—scoring such hits as...
recorded cover as B-side song for their 2008 single "Football Is Our ReligionFootball Is Our Religion"Football Is Our Religion" is a country-dance song by the Swedish band Rednex."Football Is Our Religion" is the unofficial song to the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship which took place in Austria and Switzerland in June 2008.-Track listing:...
"
In popular culture
- It has been a Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
tradition since the 1970s to play "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" after "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh inning stretch; in one of his last public appearances, Denver himself danced on top of the dugout during a nationally televised Orioles game in 1997. The song is also played during the seventh-inning stretch at Atlanta BravesAtlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
and Vanderbilt CommodoresVanderbilt CommodoresThe Vanderbilt Commodores are the NCAA athletic teams of Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. The university fields 16 varsity teams , 14 of which compete in the Southeastern Conference...
games. It is also played regularly at Montana GrizzliesMontana GrizzliesMontana Grizzlies is the nickname given to the athletic teams of the University of Montana. The women's basketball team, however, uses the moniker Lady Griz...
, Washington GloryWashington GloryThe Washington Glory was a women's softball team based in Fairfax, Virginia. They played during 2007 and 2008 as a member of National Pro Fastpitch....
, Calgary FlamesCalgary FlamesThe Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
, Ottawa SenatorsOttawa SenatorsThe Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Colorado AvalancheColorado AvalancheThe Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
and Spokane IndiansSpokane IndiansThe Spokane Indians are a minor league baseball team located in Spokane, Washington, United States. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League and have been a farm team of the Texas Rangers since 2003. The Indians play home games at Avista Stadium...
home games. - The Country Bear Vacation HoedownCountry Bear Vacation HoedownThe Country Bear Vacation Hoedown was an attraction created due to the overwhelming popularity of The Country Bear Jamboree. In Disneyland, it opened in February 1986 replacing the original show. That May, the Disney World version followed suit. It remained at Disney World until February 1992 when...
has used the song "Thank God I'm a Country Bear" as the show's finale. - In Stephen KingStephen KingStephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
's novel The Dead ZoneThe Dead ZoneThe Dead Zone may refer to:* The Dead Zone , a 1979 novel by Stephen King* The Dead Zone , a 1983 film adaption of the novel, starring Christopher Walken and directed by David Cronenberg...
, "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" is played at a televised rally for rising politician and antagonist Greg StillsonGreg StillsonGreg Stillson is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in Stephen King's 1979 novel The Dead Zone. Played by Golden Globe-winner Martin Sheen in the film adaptation and Sean Patrick Flanery in the USA Network television series, Stillson is a rising politician and future U.S...
. - The song is featured in the Pauly ShorePauly ShorePaul Montgomery "Pauly" Shore is an American comedian and actor who starred in several comedy films in the 1990s and hosted a video show on MTV in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
film Son in LawSon in LawSon in Law is a 1993 comedy film starring Pauly Shore, Carla Gugino, Lane Smith, Cindy Pickett, Tiffani Thiessen, Patrick Renna, Dan Gauthier and Dennis Burkley.-Plot:...
. - The sketch comedy series Upright Citizens BrigadeUpright Citizens BrigadeThe Upright Citizens Brigade is an improvisational comedy and sketch comedy group that emerged from Chicago's ImprovOlympic in 1990. The most recent incarnation consists of Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh...
did a sketch in its second season where a group of Denver fans got together and discussed how John Denver was forced to change the song from its original lyrics, "Thank God I'm A Nutsack". Also mentioned was a song called "Sunshine on my Nutsack". - Jim NaborsJim NaborsJames Thurston "Jim" Nabors is an American actor and singer. Born and raised in Sylacauga, Alabama, Nabors moved to Southern California because of his asthma. While working at a Santa Monica nightclub, The Horn, he was discovered by Andy Griffith and later joined The Andy Griffith Show, playing...
performed "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" when he appeared on The Muppet Show in 1976. - Party BenParty BenParty Ben is a DJ in San Francisco who spent many years working at local radio station Live 105 and is one of the more notable figures in the mashup scene.-Mashups:...
remixed a "City Boy Remix" of the song in 2006 for a guest D.J.Disc jockeyA disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
spot where the theme was "electro meets hoedownHoedownA Hoedown is a type of American folk dance or square dance in duple meter, and also the musical form associated with it.-Overview:The most popular sense of the term is associated with Americans in rural or southeastern parts of the country, particularly Appalachia. It is a dance in quick movement...
" as a "sloppy but well-meaning tribute". - Featured in the stage musical, Priscilla Queen of the Desert – the Musical
- The single is sampled in Soulja BoySoulja BoyDeAndre Cortez Way , better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, entrepreneur, and internet personality....
's song "Country Boy".