Almost 35 years after the US Government tried to ban John Denver’s song Rocky Mountain High — for its allegedly corrupting line about “friends around the campfire and everybody’s high” — the state of Colorado has adopted it as its official anthem.

Colorado politicians insist, as Denver once did before Congress, that the song is about the natural high that one can experience from taking a brisk hike in the mountains, and absolutely not about the euphoria that comes from inhaling marijuana smoke.

“A high is medically the releasing of endorphins in the brain — yes, drugs cause it, but so do lots of other things,” Senator Bob Hagedorn, a Democrat, told The New York Times.

“We could be talking about guys who’ve been fishing all day, or kids pigging out on s’mores [chocolate marshmallows]. If I thought there was anything in that song about the use of drugs or encouraging the use of drugs, I would never have run the resolution.”

Republicans were split on the issue. “What’s next? Led Zeppelin?” snorted Representative Ellen Roberts, who said that the state could not honour everyone’s favourite song. Senator Steve Ward, meanwhile, declared: “If I had any hair, I’d part it in the middle and say, ‘Faaaar out’.”

Senator Hagedorn, a “recovering alcoholic”, who serves on the board of Colorado’s largest drug-treatment facility, personally led the effort to make Rocky Mountain High the state’s second official song. The other is A. J. Fynn’s rather more straightforward Where the Columbines Grow.

Another of Denver’s songs, Take Me Home, Country Roads, is the official state anthem of West Virginia.

References to getting high in Colorado are by no means unusual. Denver is nicknamed the “Mile High City” because of its elevation of precisely 5,280ft (1,600m) above sea level. The Denver Broncos football team used to play at Mile High Stadium, before it was demolished to make way for Invesco Field at Mile High.

Denver, who died at the age of 53 while flying an experimental aircraft above California, would have perhaps felt vindicated by Colorado’s decision to adopt his song, inspired by his move to Aspen in 1970.

This year will mark the tenth anniversary of the death of the singer, who was born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr.

A decade after the song was banned by radio stations — as part of a federal ruling against music deemed to promote marijuana use — Denver testified before Congress.

He said that the ban “was obviously [imposed] by people who had never seen or been to the Rocky Mountains, and also had never experienced the elation, celebration of life or the joy in living that one feels when he observes something as wondrous as the Perseids meteor shower on a moonless, cloudless night, when there are so many stars that you have a shadow from the starlight and you are out camping with your friends”.

Mr Denver’s relatives said yesterday that they were pleased that Rocky Mountain High had finally been recognised as a wholesome tribute to mountain living. Ron Deutschendorf, the singer’s brother, called the move “very cool”.

“He’d be very honoured,” Mr Deutschendorf added. “We are very proud. I am going to call my mom and tell her.”

Denver on the beauties of the Colorado peaks

"It’s Colorado rocky mountain high
I’ve seen it rainin’ fire in the sky
Friends around the campfire and everybody’s high
Rocky mountain high"

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