Lana Del Rey is once again paying tribute to John Denver, this time surprise-dropping a cover of the late folk singer’s classic 1971 hit “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”
Released without notice on Friday (Dec. 1), the cover finds the singer-songwriter fully embracing her Americana musical influences. She and producer Zachary Dawes keep the instrumentation simple, swapping out Denver’s original acoustic guitar for piano and adding lots of reverb to the 38-year-old star’s sultry voice. Only at the end does a choir of background singers join in for a final chorus.
Lana has previously included nods to Denver in her own music, most prominently on Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd opener “The Grants.” “My pastor told me, ‘When you leave, all you take is your memories’ … I’m gonna take mine of you with me/ Like ‘Rocky Mountain High’ the way John Denver sings,” she croons on the 2023 track, referencing Denver’s 1972 smash.
“Take Me Home, Country Roads” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971. The legendary songwriter, who passed away in 1997, went on to top the chart four times: in 1974 for “Sunshine on My Shoulders” and “Annie’s Song” and in 1975 for “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” and “I’m Sorry.”
Del Rey has been on a roll this week with her covers of classic hits. Wednesday night (Nov. 29), she joined John Legend, Alanis Morrissette, Kacey Musgraves and more artists in paying tribute to Elvis for the inaugural Christmas at Graceland live NBC special. Almost every musician performed one of the King’s hits in different spots around his famous Memphis estate, with Del Rey singing “Unchained Melody.”
The “Summertime Sadness” singer is in the running for five Grammys at next year’s awards, with Ocean Blvd picking up nods for album of the year and best alternative music album. She’s also up for song of the year with “A&W.”
Listen to Lana Del Rey’s take on John Denver’s “Country Roads” below:
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