As a long time "Song Exploder" fan, it's not a surprise that this deeper dive about "Take Me Home Country Roads" was of interest to me.
But first a story. Growing up I lived in DC but went to school in Maryland. By high school my two closest friends lived in Mitchellville and Damascus, Maryland. Mitchellville is in PG County and houses an amusement park. Damascus at the time was quite literally a one stoplight town in upper Montgomery County. (I believe they have more stoplights now.) We often teased the Damascus friend that we had to pass cows to get to her. (There were actual cows.)
So all of this is to say that learning the road the songwriters were driving down was Clopper Road in Gaithersburg as they charted out this song is both fascinating and hilarious to me. I am well aware that good writers are chasing a feeling, not a specific road. But nonetheless. Also that this song debuted at the Cellar Door in Georgetown, is honestly just the cherry on top for me. The next time I'm on Clopper Road, I know what to sing now. And you best believe I will be bringing this up all the time.
