Few songs have captured the heart and soul of a place quite like John Denver’s 1971 classic Take Me Home, Country Roads. Yet, more than 50 years after its release, confusion still lingers — is the song about West Virginia or Virginia? The answer is simple: it’s about West Virginia, and the lyrics make that crystal clear.
From the opening verse, the song paints a vivid picture of rolling mountains, rural landscapes, and deep-rooted pride. But the line that settles the debate once and for all comes in the chorus:
“Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong,
West Virginia,
Mountain mama,
Take me home, country roads.”
Denver doesn’t just imply it — he literally names West Virginia as “the place I belong.” That’s not poetic ambiguity. It’s direct and unmistakable. The song is a love letter to the Mountain State, celebrating its natural beauty and the emotional pull it has on those who call it home.
So why the confusion? Partly because the songwriters, Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, were initially inspired by a drive through Maryland and parts of western Virginia. But when the lyrics came together, the mountainous imagery and cultural feel fit West Virginia perfectly — so they put it in the song. Denver himself later performed it countless times at events tied to West Virginia and embraced it as an anthem for the state.
Today, Country Roads is more than just a hit song — it’s an official state anthem of West Virginia, sung at football games, political rallies, family reunions, and even funerals. And every time those words ring out, they carry the same message: when the singer says “take me home,” they’re talking about West Virginia.
So next time someone tells you it’s about Virginia, just point them to the lyrics. The answer has been in plain sight since 1971: “West Virginia, Mountain mama.”