Take Me Home, Country Roads – English Lyrics

• By: John Denver

Lyrics & Translation

Step into the heartfelt world of "Take Me Home, Country Roads," a timeless classic by John Denver that transcends borders with its universal message of homesickness and belonging. Through its simple yet evocative lyrics and warm, acoustic melodies, you can explore expressions of deep connection to place and the comforting idea of 'home.' This song is perfect for understanding common vocabulary related to nature, travel, and emotion, and its clear pronunciation makes it an excellent choice for language learners to sing along and immerse themselves in English.

[English]

Almost heaven, West Virginia

Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River

Life is old there, older than the trees

Younger than the mountains, growin' like a breeze

Country roads, take me home

To the place I belong

West Virginia, Mountain Mama

Take me home, country roads

All my memories gather 'round her

Miner's lady, stranger to blue water

Dark and dusty, painted on the sky

Misty taste of moonshine, teardrops in my eyes

Country roads, take me home

To the place I belong

West Virginia, Mountain Mama

Take me home, country roads

I hear her voice, in the mornin' hour she calls me

Radio reminds me of my home far away

Drivin' down the road, I get a feelin'

That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday

Country roads, take me home

To the place I belong

West Virginia, Mountain Mama

Take me home, country roads, everybody sing

Country roads, take me home

To the place I belong

West Virginia, Mountain Mama

Take me home, country roads

Take me home down country roads

Take me home down country roads

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
mountain /ˈmaʊntən/ A2	noun - a large natural elevation of the earth's surface
river /ˈrɪvər/ A2	noun - a large natural stream of water
breeze /briːz/ A2	noun - a gentle wind
road /roʊd/ A1	noun - a pathway for vehicles or pedestrians
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives
mountainMama /ˈmaʊntən ˈmɑːmə/ C1	noun - a poetic reference to the Appalachian mountain range and maternal figure symbolizing home or heritage
memory /ˈmɛməri/ A2	noun - the faculty of remembering information or experiences
teardrop /ˈtɪərˌdrɑːp/ B2	noun - a drop of liquid from the eye
voice /vɔɪs/ A2	noun - the sound produced by a person's mouth
moonshine /ˈmuːnˌʃaɪn/ B2	noun - illegal distilled alcohol
feeling /ˈfiːlɪŋ/ A2	noun - an emotional state or sensation

Key Grammar Structures

• Almost heaven, West Virginia

  ➔ Ellipsis

  ➔ The phrase implies 'West Virginia is almost heaven'. The verb 'is' is omitted for brevity and poetic effect.

• Life is old there, older than the trees

  ➔ Comparative Adjective

  ➔ "Older than the trees" uses the comparative form of 'old' (older) to compare the age of life to the age of the trees.

• Younger than the mountains, growin' like a breeze

  ➔ Present Participle with Dropped 'g'

  ➔ 'Growin'' is a colloquial form of 'growing', using a present participle to describe an ongoing action.

• Country roads, take me home

  ➔ Imperative Mood

  ➔ "Take" is used in the imperative mood, expressing a command or request.

• To the place I belong

  ➔ Relative Clause

  ➔ "I belong" is a relative clause modifying "the place". A relative pronoun (such as 'where' or 'that') is implied but omitted.

• Miner's lady, stranger to blue water

  ➔ Possessive Case and Appositive Phrase

  ➔ "Miner's lady" uses the possessive case to indicate that the lady belongs to the miner. "Stranger to blue water" is an appositive phrase further describing the lady.

• I hear her voice, in the mornin' hour she calls me

  ➔ Inversion (Subject-Verb)

  ➔ While not a full inversion, "in the mornin' hour she calls me" has a slight inversion in word order for emphasis and poetic effect. A more standard order would be 'she calls me in the mornin' hour'.

• That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday

  ➔ Modal Verb + Perfect Infinitive (Regret/Obligation)

  ➔ "Should have been" expresses regret that the speaker wasn't home yesterday. It signifies a missed opportunity or obligation.