And I, for one, am grateful. Most of the credit should go to Amy Hopfinger (read the article).

Why is everyone singing John Denver’s ‘Country Roads’ at the World Cup?

Denver did not write the song, and neither he nor the writers had ever been to West Virginia when it was created. The lyrics were inspired by a scenic drive along Clopper Road in Montgomery County, Maryland. “West Virginia” fit the four-syllable rhythm of the chorus much better.

A few interesting tidbits about John Denver, who, contrary to popular belief, is not full of crap.

Born in Roswell, New Mexico.
Birth name: Henry John Deutschendorf Jr.
Country Roads is played after every West Virginia football home victory. Has Denver, who died in 1997, ever played the song at Mountaineer Field? You bet he did, when it opened on September 6, 1980.
Huge Local Connection: His father was an Air Force pilot and was stationed at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas. Denver is a graduate of the geographically confusing Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth.
- Aviation enthusiasts have recalled seeing John Denver flying his experimental, home-built aircraft out over Mineral Wells, Texas, years prior to his tragic fatal crash in 1997. But I can’t find any substantial source to back this claim.
Denver attended Texas Tech University.
His final concert was held in Corpus Christi, Texas, at the Selena Auditorium on October 5, 1997.
We once sent him and Kermit the Frog to Moscow.
Leaving on a Jet Plane is one of his most popular songs, and he left us by dying in a plane crash. Here’s a voice coach listening to the version he did with Mama Cass.

But I’m also a sucker for these videos of younger generations listening to legendary or iconic songs for the first time, and seeing their reactions and hearing their thoughts. This girl just can’t conceive what life must have been like without being in constant contact with a friend or loved one, and she gets the significance of the song. Good for her. That part starts at the 3:18 mark.
Dee Snyder of Twisted Sister regrets not having met John Denver and shaken his hand. The video should be queued to that section.