The Eagle and the Hawk

Album: Aerie (1971)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Denver wrote this song for a TV special he filmed in the Rocky Mountains called The Eagle and the Hawk. The special never aired, but Denver released the song on his album Aerie.

    "The mountains aren't the only majestic things in the high country," he said on his radio special The John Denver Show. "There are those incredibly graceful and inspiring birds of prey. 'The Eagle and the Hawk' captures my feelings exactly about these magnificent birds, and the way man threatens their existence."
  • The song was released in 1971 after Denver landed his first hit, "Take Me Home Country Roads," which came earlier that year. His first hit as a songwriter came when Peter, Paul and Mary covered his song "Leaving On A Jet Plane" in 1969.
  • Denver's producer, Milt Okun, shared his thoughts on this song in the liner notes to Denver's Definitive All-Time Greatest Hits compilation: "Fittingly, that's a song that really soars. Lee Holdridge wrote a wonderful arrangement for 'The Eagle And The Hawk.' It was fascinating to watch his environmental and social consciousness growing. A lot of the Chad Mitchell Trio [Denver's group before he went solo] material was socially conscious, though John wasn't particularly at first. But before long he ended up more involved and concerned with our world than anyone else. John did a lot of good for a lot of people."

Comments: 2

  • Gmckeel from TexasI would say this is about the closest to a rock song he ever did!
  • Agustin from Santiago, ChileI read this in Youtube, about this song uploaded there by "John Denver": "Guitar, Arranger, Composer, Lyricist: Mike Taylor".
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Album Cover Inspirations

Album Cover InspirationsSong Writing

Some album art was at least "inspired" by others. A look at some very similar covers.

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

Weezer

WeezerFact or Fiction

Did Rivers Cuomo grow up on a commune? Why did they name their albums after colors? See how well you know your Weezer in this Fact or Fiction.

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.

Eric Burdon

Eric BurdonSongwriter Interviews

The renown rock singer talks about "The House of the Rising Sun" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood."

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors Examined

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors ExaminedSong Writing

Doors expert Jim Cherry, author of The Doors Examined, talks about some of their defining songs and exposes some Jim Morrison myths.