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Friends 'round the podium pick 'Rocky Mountain High'

Alan Gathright And April M. Washington, Rocky Mountain News

Published March 13, 2007 at midnight

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Talk about Rocky Mountain High-jinx.

The legislature on Monday officially declared the John Denver tune Colorado's second state song, following a debate that sounded like a Seinfeld skit at times.

Sen. Bob Hagedorn, D-Aurora, who came up with the idea of adding the song, assured lawmakers that the tune had nothing to do with drugs.

Some Republicans raised concerns that the song could be a Siren's call to getting stoned, because of the line, "Friends around the campfire and everybody's high."

In the House, Rep. Debbie Stafford, R-Aurora, unsuccessfully tried to amend the resolution to clarify that Rocky Mountain High "reflects Colorado's high elevation and in no way reflects or encourages any drug abuse."

This caused Rep. Andy Kerr, D-Lakewood, to joke, "But it's a 'joint' resolution."

Hagedorn said that as a recovering alcoholic, he would not sponsor a resolution promoting drug use.

But there was more high humor than hand-wringing about the proposed second state song. The first state song is Where the Columbines Grow.

House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker, sounded a mock alarm about the seventh verse of Rocky Mountain High:

Now his life is full of wonder but his heart still knows some fear

Of a simple thing he cannot comprehend

Why they try to tear the mountains down to bring in a couple more

More people, more scars upon the land.

"This appears to be anti-home builders," May quipped.

Rep Rep. Nancy Todd, D-Aurora, who sponsored the resolution in the House, proudly displayed her vintage 1972 Rocky Mountain High album, for those younger lawmakers who "maybe have never seen an actually vinyl album."

This only encouraged Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, to say: "Rep. Todd, the Colorado History Museum called and they want their vinyl album back."

The Senate supported the resolution 26-8 then listened to the song on tape. The House, after being treated to a rousing live version of the song by singer Jim Salestrom, voted 50-11 in favor of the resolution.

The honor came nearly 10 years after Denver died in a plane crash near Monterey, Calif.

Other state songs

• Connecticut: Everyone knows the words to it - Yankee Doodle

• Florida: Has two state songs, The Suwanee River and Florida, My Florida

• Georgia: The Grammy Award- winning Georgia on my MindSource: 50states.Com

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