Sometimes it's important to revisit the past to reorient our tastes and see how everything has changed. “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by John Denver is the perfect song for the job.
First, a little history. This song was written by John Denver way back in 1966 and named Babe, I Hate to Go. Later, Peter, Paul, and Mary shot it up the charts with their cover.
We can thank them for changing the name to what it is now (thank goodness they did!). Since then, numerous artists have covered it, but there's something magical about Denver's own version.
His beautiful tenor voice plays an irreplaceable role in creating an amazing cascade of music. And the perfect complement for it is in his eloquent yet ornate style of playing the guitar.
In this recording, his companion is Cass Elliot, a singer in a league of her own. Best known as Mama Cass from the Mamas and the Papas, she was also famous for raising awareness among youngsters.
The song's hauntingly poignant melody is woven under a hopeful, cheery chord progression, which echoes the lyrics perfectly. Again, John and Cass put their contrasting skills together to deliver it wonderfully.
That's what makes this version extra special. That, aside from the fact that this program was arranged to get the youngsters to vote and fulfill their duties as American citizens!
