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Annie’s Song (John Denver Song)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| “Annie’s Song” | |
|---|---|
| |
| Single by John Denver | |
| from the album Back Home Again | |
| B-side | “Cool an’ Green an’ Shady” |
| Released | June 1974 |
| Genre | Country |
| Length | 2:58 |
| Label | RCA |
| Songwriter(s) | John Denver |
| Producer(s) | Milt Okun |
| John Denver singles chronology | |
| “Sunshine on My Shoulders“ (1973)”Annie’s Song“ (1974)”Back Home Again“ (1974) | |
| Alternative cover | |
| |
| 1976 Dutch vinyl picture sleeve | |
“Annie’s Song” (also known as “Annie’s Song (You Fill Up My Senses)“) is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter John Denver. The song was released as the lead single from his eighth studio album Back Home Again. It was his second number-one song in the United States, occupying that spot for two weeks in July 1974. “Annie’s Song” also went to number one on the Easy Listening chart. Billboard ranked it as the No. 25 song for 1974.
It went to number one in the United Kingdom, where it was Denver’s only major hit single. Four years later, an instrumental version also became flautist James Galway‘s only major British hit.
Background
“Annie’s Song” was written as an ode to Denver’s wife at the time, Annie Martell Denver. Denver “wrote this song in January 1973 in about ten-and-a-half minutes one day on a ski lift” to the top of Aspen Mountain in Aspen, Colorado, as the physical exhilaration of having “just skied down a very difficult run” and the feeling of total immersion in the beauty of the colors and sounds that filled all senses inspired him to think about his wife. Annie Denver recalls the beginnings: “It was written after John and I had gone through a pretty intense time together and things were pretty good for us. He left to go skiing and he got on the Ajax chair on Aspen mountain and the song just came to him. He skied down and came home and wrote it down… Initially it was a love song and it was given to me through him, and yet for him it became a bit like a prayer.”
“The first time I heard ‘Annie’s Song,’ I told John it had the same melody as Tchaikovsky‘s Fifth Symphony, Second Movement,” says Milt Okun. “He walked over to the piano, sat for an hour and came back, and the only thing remaining from Tchaikovsky was the first five notes. It was fantastic.”
Critical reception
Shawn M. Haney of Allmusic noted the song’s expressive emotionality, calling it an “ever so romantic tearjerker”. Haney praised “Annie’s Song” as “one of Denver’s finest achievements”. Billboard called it a “fine love song.” Record World said that this “folk ballad, subtle and sweet, glows with a continental flair that should take it to all the right places.”
John Denver – Annie’s Song (from The Wildlife Concert)
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 5 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 3 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 1 |
| South Africa (Springbok Radio) | 11 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) | 1 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) | 9 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1974) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 51 |
| Canada | 19 |
| UK | 15 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 25 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 5 |
| Chart (1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) | 12 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA) | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
| ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Ville Valo cover
| “Olet mun kaikuluotain“ | |
|---|---|
| |
| Single by Ville Valo | |
| B-side | Freeman – “Olet mun kaikuluotain” |
| Released | July 4, 2016 |
| Length | 3:26 |
| Label | Love Records |
| Songwriter(s) | John Denver, Hector |
On July 4, 2016, Ville Valo released a cover version of “Annie’s Song” in Finnish, titled “Olet mun kaikuluotain” (“You’re My Sonar”). The lyrics were by Hector, and the song had previously been recorded in 1976 by Freeman. Ville Valo’s version was released as a tribute to Finnish label Love Records, who celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2016. Valo’s version was also the first release from the label in over 30 years. Valo commented on the song, stating: “Kaikuluotain is a childhood favorite of mine, to the beat of which many a sleepless night ended up in tears. To this day it gives me cold shivers and goosebumps.” The song would go on to reach number one on the Finnish Download Chart.
Valo’s version also received a music video, directed by Ykä Järvinen. Released on July 11, 2016, the video features scenes of Valo walking around Helsinki, done in tribute to Aki Kaurismäki‘s film Calamari Union. The video received the Emma Award for Video of the Year in 2017.
Adaptations
Supporters of Sheffield United use the melody of “Annie’s Song” as “The Greasy Chip Butty Song“, a football chant with recast lyrics humorously extolling the virtues of life in Sheffield and as supporters of the club.
The Egan band performed Bilintx‘s song “Louolan Jai Jai” with this tune, which became the common tune for the song.
A parody version of the first few bars of the song is included on Monty Python’s Contractual Obligation Album, but was removed and replaced with an apology on later pressings of the album on legal advice.
Annie Song (Spanish Verse)
Annie’s Song (Russian Verse)
Other notable cover versions
- Glen Campbell recorded a version of the song but it was not released until 1995 on his album The Essential Glen Campbell Volume Three.
- American punk rock band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes covered the song on their album Love Their Country in 2006.
- British folk trio Honey Ryder covered “Annie’s Song” as a single in December 2012.
- British musical theatre actor Daniel Boys covered the song on his 2009 debut album So Close.
- Spanish dramatic tenor Plácido Domingo also covered the song, featuring John Denver himself on lead guitar.
- Karel Gott covered the song in the Czech language as “Když Milenky Pláčou”.
- Glennis Grace
- Andre Rieu
- Joslin
- Henry Mancini
Manuel & The Music Of The Mountains
- Franck Pourcel Orchestra
Back Home Again (John Denver Album)
| Back Home Again | |
|---|---|
| |
| Studio album by John Denver | |
| Released | June 15, 1974 |
| Studio | RCA (Hollywood, California) |
| Genre | Country folk |
| Length | 38:08 |
| Label | RCA Victor |
| Producer | Milton Okun |
| John Denver chronology | |
| John Denver’s Greatest Hits (1973)Back Home Again (1974)An Evening with John Denver (1975) | |
| Singles from Back Home Again | |
| “Annie’s Song“ Released: June 1974″Back Home Again“ Released: September 1974 | |
Professional ratings
Back Home Again is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter John Denver, released in June 1974.
The multi-platinum album reached the top position on the Billboard 200 and contained the hit singles “Annie’s Song” (#1 pop, No. 1 adult contemporary), and “Back Home Again” (#5 pop, No. 1 AC, No. 1 country). In addition, the studio versions of “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” and “Sweet Surrender” appear on this album.
The song “Grandma’s Feather Bed” was written by banjoist Jim Connor, of the New Kingston Trio, based on a verse he wrote for his grandmother. Denver first heard Connor playing the song in 1968. Connor played on Denver’s recording, and toured with the singer.
The song “The Music Is You” is a bonus track on the 1998 reissue of Rocky Mountain Christmas.
On the cover, John is shown with his then-wife Annie Martell.
Track listing
All tracks written by John Denver, except where noted.
Side one
| o. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Back Home Again“ | 4:42 |
| 2. | “On the Road” | Carl Franzen | 2:33 |
|---|
| 3. | “Grandma’s Feather Bed” | Jim Connor | 2:15 |
|---|
xxx
| 4. | “Matthew” | 3:43 |
|---|
| 5. | “Thank God I’m a Country Boy“ | John Sommers | 3:06 |
|---|
xxx
| 6. | “The Music Is You” | 1:26 |
|---|
Side two
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Annie’s Song“ | 2:58 |
xxx
| 2. | “It’s Up to You” | Steve Weisberg | 2:26 |
|---|
xxx
| 3. | “Cool an’ Green an’ Shady” | DenverJoe Henry | 3:07 |
|---|
xxx
| 4. | “Eclipse” | 3:41 |
|---|
xxx
| 5. | “Sweet Surrender“ | 5:29 |
|---|
| 6. | “This Old Guitar” | 2:50 |
|---|
xxx
Personnel
- John Denver – 6 & 12-string acoustic guitars, vocals
- Buddy Collette – clarinet
- Jim Gordon – drums, percussion
- Hal Blaine – drums, percussion
- Jim Connor – banjo, harmonica, vocals
- Julie Connor – vocals
- Glen Hardin – piano
- Lee Holdridge – orchestral arrangements
- David Jackson – bass
- Dick Kniss – bass
- John Sommers – banjo, acoustic guitar, mandolin, fiddle, backing vocals
- Steve Weisberg – acoustic guitar, dulcimer, dobro, backing vocals, arranger
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1974–76) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australia Albums (Kent Music Report) | 2 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 3 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 14 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 3 |
| US Billboard 200 | 1 |
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard) | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1974) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia Albums (Kent Music Report) | 13 |
| US Billboard 200 | 90 |
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard) | 10 |
| Chart (1975) | Position |
| Australia Albums (Kent Music Report) | 25 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 18 |
| US Billboard 200 | 4 |
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)< | 1 |
| Chart (1976) | Position |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 42 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada) | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA) | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000^ |
| ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
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