This week’s ode to John Denver was written by Rebecca Brenner is a PhD candidate in history at American University. You can follow her on Twitter @rebeccabbrenner.
I first heard “Annie’s Song” as a sophomore in college in the mountainous Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. I related to the “like the mountains in springtime” line when the frigid New England winter finally released its grasp. Now as a Washingtonian free from New England winters, I am planning my wedding for next summer in DC. My fiancé let me choose our wedding song, and naturally I chose “Annie’s Song” because I love the line “let me drown in your laughter, let me die in your arms.”
I told myself years ago that I would only get married if I felt the sentiment of that line, and I do. In his memoir, John Denver explained that he wrote the song about and for Annie, but he ultimately meant for it to be like a prayer.