It’s become one of the enduring scenes of the U.S. team jubilant U.S. players joining tens of thousands of fans in singing John Denver’s 鈥淭ake Me Home, Country Roads鈥� at the end of their matches.
Even who was born in Argentina and lives in Spain, got in on the act after Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina, belting out the words to Denver’s anthem as he hugged his players and staff members.
鈥淐ountry Roads鈥� cowriter Bill Danoff told The Associated Press that he’s honored that the U.S. team has embraced the song, and that Denver, who , would have relished watching the most recent match.
鈥淚t was such an exciting game 鈥� they were down a player with a red card, but they still won,鈥� said Danoff, who has started to become more of a soccer fan in recent weeks, partially due to the 鈥淐ountry Roads鈥� connection. 鈥淚 thought, 鈥楪ee, I wish John was still here.鈥� John got super excited about stuff like that, and it would have been fun to watch that game with him.鈥�
The John Denver estate told the AP that it is 鈥渢hrilled鈥� by the song鈥檚 latest revival at the World Cup, saying 鈥淐ountry Roads鈥� has endured because its message transcends geography, and that its 鈥渟imple, clear, and relatable鈥� lyrics make it perfect for a sing-along.
鈥淓veryone knows what 鈥楾ake me home to the place I belong鈥� is about,鈥� the estate said Thursday. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not limited to West Virginia.鈥�
Here鈥檚 how a song inspired by a Maryland drive became a World Cup anthem.
The song has its origins in Maryland, not West Virginia
Despite the lyrics’ heartfelt Danoff has said the inspiration for the song came from a drive he and his then-wife, cowriter Taffy Nivert, took along Maryland’s winding Clopper Road to attend a family reunion in Gaithersburg, some 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of the West Virginia border.
鈥淚 just started thinking, country roads, I started thinking of me growing up in western New England and going on all these small roads,鈥� Danoff told Washington’s in 2020. 鈥淚t didn鈥檛 have anything to do with Maryland or anyplace.鈥�
At the time, Danoff hadn’t spent considerable time in West Virginia. He was familiar, though, with Appalachian music broadcast from Wheeling, West Virginia’s famous WWVA radio station, which he listened to while growing up in Springfield, Massachusetts. Danoff said he was also inspired by the West Virginia-born actor Chris Sarandon, as well as the West Virginian members of a commune who would frequently attend his gigs.
Danoff said he and Nivert were planning to try to sell the song to Johnny Cash, but when they played an unfinished version one night in their apartment for their friend John Denver, the singer-songwriter convinced them to let him record it instead. The song, released in 1971, turned into Denver’s biggest hit and has been a mainstay for decades.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know all of the ways that song must have touched people, but I鈥檓 grateful that I have somehow been able to say something that has meaning for others,鈥� Denver wrote years later.
鈥楥ountry Roads鈥� finds a new stage at the World Cup
According to , FIFA officials added 鈥淐ountry Roads鈥� to its postgame playlist options in hopes of creating a shared moment between the U.S. team and its supporters.
It made its debut at the end of the U.S.’s second match as the players celebrated their 2-0 win over Australia in Seattle. The song was an immediate hit both inside the stadium and on social media, as fans embraced the scenes of U.S. players waving to fans as they sang the lyrics.
鈥淵ou could feel the connection with the fans,鈥� midfielder Weston McKennie told reporters after the match.
John Denver’s song didn’t get quite the same reception on June 25 at Los Angeles Stadium, as it came after a deflating, though insignificant, last-minute
But it came back in force Wednesday evening in Santa Clara, California, to advance to the round of 16. Perhaps none were more enthusiastic than midfielders McKennie and Sebastian Berhalter, who swung their arms wildly as they wandered around the field while singing to the fans.
During matches not involving the U.S. team, the song has frequently been played during hydration breaks and has also been met with roaring approval from fans who, moments previously, had been booing the start of each hydration break.
鈥楥ountry Roads鈥� has long been a sports staple
It鈥檚 hardly the first time that 鈥淐ountry Roads,鈥� has been It has long been a mainstay at West Virginia University football games, where Mountaineer fans serenade the team after its home victories.
It’s even found a home in Europe, where fans have been singing it during the NFL’s annual visit to Germany since the first game in Munich in 2022. Fans there were used to singing the song during Oktoberfest celebrations.
And, in the English Premier League, Manchester United supporters years ago tweaked the words to sing about their own 鈥渉ome鈥� 鈥� Old Trafford stadium.
England鈥檚 players have their own sing-along
While 鈥淐ountry Roads鈥� is the U.S.’s unofficial anthem, the England national team during this tournament has similarly adopted
Standing in a line, arms around each other鈥檚 shoulders, the English players sang the 1995 hit after their 4-2 opening victory against Croatia, something that captain Harry Kane said was 鈥渙ne of my favorite ever moments in an England shirt.鈥�
The team has been repeating the post-match tradition after each match since.
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