STEVE INSKEEP, Host: Back in 1972, a songwriter wrote a kind of love letter that began this way.</s>JOHN DENVER: (Singing) He was born in the summer of his 27th year. Comin' home to a place he'd never been before. He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: John Denver was singing of his love for Colorado. And yesterday, Colorado returned the gesture. The state legislature made his tune, "Rocky Mountain High" an official state song.</s>JOHN DENVER: (Singing) Colorado rocky mountain high. I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky. The shadow from the starlight is softer...</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: The honor for John Denver comes nearly 10 years after he died in a plane crash.</s>KAREN LARSON: It is totally high time and I use the word high. Yeah.</s>JP MCDANIEL: Yeah. And this is a natural high.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: Karen Larson and JP McDaniel are longtime fans and friends of the late performer.</s>KAREN LARSON: And if he were here right now, I know he would be so thrilled and so - far out.</s>JP MCDANIEL: Far out.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: By the way, another John Denver song, "Take Me Home, Country Roads" is one of West Virginia's two state songs. Denver described that state as almost heaven, but a Colorado lawmaker boasted yesterday that Denver chose to live in Colorado.</s>JOHN DENVER: (Singing) Rocky mountain high, Colorado. Rocky Mountain High.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: This is NPR News.
The state of Colorado has a new state anthem. Lawmakers passed a resolution Monday adopting John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High" as one of the state's official songs.