Thank God I'm a Country Boy
"Thank God I'm a Country Boy" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by John Denver | ||||
from the album Back Home Again & An Evening with John Denver | ||||
B-side | "My Sweet Lady" | |||
Released | March 1975 | |||
Recorded | August 26, 1974 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:13 2:47 (single edit) | |||
Milton Okun | ||||
John Denver singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Audio | ||||
John Denver – "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" on YouTube |
"Thank God I'm a Country Boy", also known as "Country Boy", is a song written by John Martin Sommers 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 also became the name of a variety special show hosted by Denver in 1977.
"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.
Background
The song was written by John Martin Sommers, a guitar/banjo/fiddle/mandolin player in Denver's backup band, on December 31, 1973 (coincidentally Denver's thirtieth birthday) when he was driving from his home in Aspen, Colorado to Los Angeles.[6]
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
This section possibly contains original research. (October 2016) |
The song is in cut (2/2) time that is typical of two-step. Both the verse and chorus comprise eight measures with 3/2 added between the first four measures and last three measures. Emotionally, this creates an intended slight stall. The instrumental breaks in the song incorporate a violin playing the old fiddle tune Sally Goodin, which is also referenced in the song's lyrics: "I'd play Sally Goodin all day if I could...."
Chart performance
John Denver version
Chart (1975) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard Hot 100[7] | 1 |
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[8] | 5 |
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[9] | 1 |
Canadian RPM Top Singles | 1 |
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 1 |
Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
Yugoslavian Singles Charts | 1 |
Year-end charts
Chart (1975) | Position |
---|---|
US Billboard Hot 100[10] | 11 |
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[11] | 44 |
Billy Dean version
Chart (2004) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[12] | 27 |
Cover versions
- A cover version was released by country music artist Hot Country Singles & Trackscharts.
- A Western version was recorded by Alvin and the Chipmunks for their 1981 album Urban Chipmunk.
- Canadian country music artist Brad Johner did a cover on his 2003 album Free.
- Canadian Country rock group The Road Hammers recorded a version for their 2009 album The Road Hammers II.
- Christian group Point of Grace 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 Rednex recorded cover as B-side song for their 2008 single "Football Is Our Religion"
- Finnish folk/country band Finntrio recorded a Finnish language translation Kyllä maalla on mukavaa of the song.
- Branson, Missouri-based band The Haygoods covered the song
- Dolly!
- The German cover band Village Girls covered it under the title "Thank God I'm a Country Girl."[15]
- The a cappella group Home Free released a cover of the song in 2016.[16]
In popular culture
- The song has been played during the Montana Grizzlies, Washington Glory, Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Spokane Chiefs, Hagerstown Suns, and Spokane Indianshome games.
- The American version Country Bear Vacation Hoedownhas used the song "Thank God I'm a Country Bear" as the show's finale.
- In Greg Stillson.
- Jim Nabors performed "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" when he appeared on The Muppet Show in 1976.
- Ann B. Davis performed "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" as "Thank God I'm a Country Girl" on The Brady Bunch Hour Episode 8, released on April 25, 1977.
- Loretta Lynn performed "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" as "Thank God I'm a Country Girl" on Fantasy Island Season 6 Episode 8, released on December 11, 1982.
- Featured in the stage musical, Priscilla Queen of the Desert – the Musical
- The song was parodied by the Iran-Contra Scandal as "Thank God I'm A Contra Boy" featuring Oliver North.
- The song was used during a scene in Son in Law when Pauly Shore's character, "Crawl", has a combine go out of control and spell his name on the farmland while singing along to the 8-track tape playing in the cab.
- The song appears in a TV commercial for Airbnb.
References
- ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
- ISBN 031214704X.
- ^ "John Sommers". Archived from the original on July 31, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 103.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 173.
- ^ Smith, Dean. "Baltimore?s Seventh-Inning Tradition Within a Tradition". Pressboxonline.com. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
- ^ "John Denver Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "John Denver Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
- ^ "John Denver Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 1975". Billboard. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 1975". Billboard. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ "Billy Dean Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Australian-charts.com – Hampton the Hampster – Thank God I'm a Country Boy". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2001". ARIA. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ iTunes: Village Girls - Thank God I'm a Country Girl
- ^ "John Denver - Thank God I'm a Country Boy (Home Free Cover) (All Vocal Music)". YouTube. August 5, 2016.
- ^ Cowherd, Kevin. "7th-inning stretch belonged to Denver Orioles: Time after time, 'Thank God I'm a Country Boy' got the stadium rocking. And when the man himself joined in, it was magic," The Baltimore Sun, Tuesday, October 14, 1997 Retrieved October 19, 2017