“Friends With You” (From Aerie, 1971)
From Denver’s fifth studio album comes this whistful reflection. In the verses, Denver explores the gift of growing old and all the experiences that come with it. The verses are weighed down by a minor melody before the chorus erupts into a buoyant major chord. A crowd of voices then join Denver in singing Friends I will remember you, think of you / Pray for you / And when another day is through / I’ll still be friends with you.
“Mother Nature’s Son” (From Rocky Mountain High, 1972)
Though this song was originally recorded by the Beatles for their eponymous “White Album,” it seems to be tailored-made for Denver.
Denver’s songs often evoke a deep reverence for the earth. From “Rocky Mountain High” to “Sunshine on My Shoulders” no one paints as clear a portrait of mother nature as Denver. So it’s apt that this song talks of being raised in fields of grass and beside mountain streams.
“The Cowboy and the Lady” (From Some Days Are Diamonds, 1981)
In “The Cowboy and the Lady” Denver plays the odd couple with the grandest lady he’s ever seen. While he is donning his rhinestone-studded suit and his cowboy hat and boots, she’s wearing a fancy feathered hat while waiting for her plane to take off.
I was Mogen David wine / she was Chabls Fifty-nine, he sings. But there we sat, the cowboy and the lady / She was evenings at the opera and summers in Paree / I was Grand Ole Opry, Nashville, Tennessee.