Saturday 9: Annie's Song

Saturday 9: Annie's Song (1974)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) 50 years ago this month, we were all listening to John Denver rhapsodize about nature. He singles out walking in the rain as a particularly lovely experience. Do you enjoy walking in the rain?

A. I do in the summer. I don't like it when it is cold out.

2) Denver wrote this song on a ski lift in Aspen. He clearly relished the ride, but ski lifts are problematic for those who suffer from acrophobia, or a fear of heights. Acrophobia plagues approximately 5% of Americans. Are you one of them?

A. I don't have a fear of heights, but I have a thing about elevators, which makes it hard to get somewhere high.

3) John Denver recalled that this song just came to him as he looked down on the beauty of nature. Can you recall a time when something you saw in nature touched your heart?

A. This morning a fox ran through the back yard. He had black feet with a white band above them, as if he had on socks. He was quite big for a fox. I don't see them very often.

4) Wildly successful here in The States, John Denver's popularity didn't extend to the United Kingdom. In fact, "Annie's Song" was his only major hit. But it was a big one. Denver's version reached #1 in 1974 and then in 1978 James Galway hit #1 on the UK charts with an instrumental version. Do you have a favorite instrumental recording?

A. Classical Gas by Mason Williams.

5) John Denver's first-ever guitar, a gift from his grandmother, was displayed at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix. Have you visited a museum yet this summer? If not, do you have plans to?

A. I have visited a museum, yes. I went to the history museum in a nearby county and visited the museum in my own county.

6) In addition to the guitar, Denver also played the violin (or "the fiddle," as he called it). If a genie appeared to magically enable you to play the instrument of your choice, which would you choose?

A. The guitar.

Let's look at the summer of 1974.

7) Elizabeth Berkeley was born. She's best known as Jesse on the Saturday morning teen sitcom, Saved by the Bell. What Saturday morning TV shows do you remember fondly?

A. H.R. Puffin' Stuff (HR Puffin Stuff, he's your friend when things get rough, HR Puffin Stuff, can't do a little 'cause he can't do enough), The Land of the Lost (Marshall, Will, and Holly, on a routine expedition, met the greatest earthquake ever known), Loony Tunes (Eh, what's up, Doc?), Underdog (there's no need to fear! Underdog is here! Speed of lightning, roar of thunder, fighting all who rob or plunder, Underdog!), Milton the Monster (now for a touch of tenderness, but I must use only a touch! for without a touch of tenderness, he might destroy me! Ooops, too much! Better hold your breath it's starting to tick, (better hold my head, I'm feeling sick), Hello Dad! What have I done? I'm Milton, your brand-new son!), The Bullwinkle Show (Hey Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat! Again?), and many more. 

8) Hall of Fame pitcher and Cardinal great Dizzy Dean died. How is your baseball team doing this summer?

A. I'm afraid I don't have a baseball team.

9) The biggest summer movie was The Longest Yard starring Burt Reynolds. What's your favorite Burt Reynolds movie?

A. I don't have one, but I will say Smokie and the Bandit because Sally Fields was in it.

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I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.