ON DENVER SONG

A lawmaker wants to make John Denver's Rocky Mountain High Colorado's second state song, saying that the current official song just isn't as memorable.

"You hear a few bars of John Denver and you recognize it," Democratic state Sen. Bob Hagedorn told the Aspen Daily News.

The current state song is Where the Columbines Grow.

"That's not a song that a lot of Coloradans know or can hum the lyrics to," said Hagedorn, of Aurora.

Hagedorn, who is trying to line up support, wants to introduce legislation this month that would make Rocky Mountain High an official state song without displacing the columbines song.

He said most of the copyright arrangements have been made.

Denver, who lived in Aspen, died in a plane crash near Monterey, Calif., on Oct. 12, 1997.

ALL TOGETHER NOW

Refrain from John Denver's song:

But the Colorado Rocky Mountain high/

I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky/

The shadow from the starlight is softer than a lullaby/

Rocky Mountain high (high Colorado) Rocky Mountain high (high Colorado)

THE STATE SONG

Chorus from Where the Columbines Grow, lyrics and music by A.J. Fynn:

Tis the land where the columbines grow/

Overlooking the plains far below/

While the cool summer breeze in the evergreen trees/

Softly sings where the columbines grow.