My phone served up a cover version of this John Denver classic as I was chauffeuring my wife around yesterday. Something about the lyric hit me in a way that I’d never noticed before.

Almost Heaven, West Virginia
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze

That is scientifically accurate. The Appalachians are the oldest mountain range on the planet and certainly predate human life, if not all life, by millions of years.

So now I’m wondering, was Denver taking a poke at creationism with that line? Or did the words just flow? It’s from the album title, Poems, Prayers & Promises, which is a little on the nose. But Denver was way more of a liberal than his marketing, especially in the 70s, would have one believe.

John Denver original
Ghost Hounds cover

Posted on May 2, 2026   #Music