Born on New Year’s Eve in 1943 in Roswell, New Mexico, John Denver is one of the most celebrated pure songwriters. His music has been covered countlessly and then covered again many more times.
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Denver, who died in a plane crash at the young age of 53 in Pacific Grove, California, composed all-time tracks like “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” As such, his name has lived on well past his handful of decades on earth.
But outside of his music-making, what did Denver have to say about life, love, and his pursuit of happiness? What were his thoughts on his art and creativity? That’s the substance we wanted to dive into here.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into the best 20 quotes from legendary songwriter, John Denver.
1. “I’ve always liked to think that we put ourselves in the circumstances in life that will support us moving through to wherever it is our spirit is going.”
2. “Relax, ease back in your seats and let the music take you wherever it does.”
3. “Peace is a conscious choice.”
4. “Commit yourself to do whatever it is you can contribute in order to create a healthy and sustainable future—the world needs you desperately. Find that in yourself and make a commitment—that is what will change the world.”
5. “The future of life on Earth depends on our ability to see the sacred where others see only the common.”
6. “Death is not an ending, but a symbol of movement along the path upon which we are all traveling. As it may be painful to lose contact with the physical aspect of one we love, the Spirit can never be lost. We have been and always will be a part of each other.”
7. “Music does bring people together. It allows us to experience the same emotions. People everywhere are the same in heart and spirit. No matter what language we speak, what color we are, the form of our politics, or the expression of our love and our faith, music proves: We are the same.”
8. “I believe that we are here for each other, not against each other. Everything comes from an understanding that you are a gift in my life—whoever you are, whatever our differences.”
9. “Things go up and down. If you can survive the down, it will come back.”
10. “The best thing you have to offer the world is yourself. You don’t have to copy anyone else. If you do, you’re second best. To achieve success is to be first, and that’s being yourself.”
11. “There has never been a time on Earth like we see today. What we need are more ways to experience our interconnectedness—it is a precursor to deep love. So in this quickening light, with the dawn of each new day, let us look for love. Let us no longer struggle. Let us ever become who we most want to be. As we begin to be who we truly are, the world will be a better place.”
12. “We don’t teach kids how to feel, we don’t give them the words to go by.”
13. “My purpose in performing is to communicate the joy I experience in living.”
14. “I think more about the family now. That’s an interesting progression for me.”
15. “I would so much like young people to have a sense of the gift that they are. Not many of them feel like that.”
16. “At times I’ve got a really big ego. But I’ll tell you the best thing about me. I’m some guy’s dad; I’m some little gal’s dad. When I die, if they say I was Annie’s husband and Zachary John and Anna Kate’s father, boy, that’s enough for me to be remembered by. That’s more than enough.”
17. “I don’t want to just entertain people. I want to touch them.”
18. “I ran away from home when I was a senior in high school, and it came out of all the conflicts that happen between parents and their children who can’t communicate.”
19. “There are so many things we are afraid of, thinking that if we confront them, they will kill us. Most of it goes back to your infancy.”
20. “I get an awful lot of fan mail, and I read all that I can.”
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