The Story Behind The Song and The Controversies It Faced
In the mid-1970s, John Denver revealed to the concert audiences that “Rocky Mountain High” took him an oddly nine months-long to write. Three years before that, Denver moved to Aspen, Colorado, which served as the primary inspiration for him to write the song, added by his love for the state.
The song, which refers to the commercial tourism ruining the mountains’ beauty, then became a well-associated track of Colorado history.
“Now, his life is full of wonder, but his heart still knows some fear of a simple thing he cannot comprehend. Why they try to tear the mountains down to bring in a couple more, more people, more scars upon the land,” the song goes.
However, “Rocky Mountain High” faced some controversies when a legal ruling authorized the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to censor songs deemed to promote drug abuse.
Several radio stations warily banned the song until Denver explained to the public that the “high” was his innocent way of describing the sense of peace he only found in the Rockies. In 1985, Denver testified during a senate hearing, opposing the labeling of albums being recommended by the Parents Music Resource Center.