Leavin' On A Jet Plane

By John Denver

All my bags are packed
I'm ready to go
I'm standin' here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin'
It's early morn
The taxis waitin'
He's blowin' his horn
Already I'm so lonesome
I could die.

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go.

There's so many times I've let you down
So many times I've played around
I tell you now, they don't mean a thing
Ev'ry place I go, I'll think of you
Ev'ry song I sing, I'll sing for you
When I come back, I'll bring your wedding ring.

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
cause I'm leavin on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go.

Now the time has come to leave you
One more time
Let me kiss you
Then close your eyes
I'll be on my way
Dream about the days to come
When I won't have to leave alone
About the times, I won't have to say.

Oh, kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
cause I'm leavin on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go.

But, I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go...

Growing up with a seminarian for a father, he had summers off for vacations but no money for flights to Mexico or Hawaii... instead we would all stuff ourselves into whatever beat-up car we had in our possession, and we would take off for a wild destination (New Jersey, Florida, the Rocky Mountains, anywhere my dad could fish...) My dad loved to drive and while he drove he loved to listen to John Denver. It only takes a moment for something to catch a child's imagination, and this song did it for me... I could see the inevitable plane taking off, I could hear the difficulties of goodbyes and the yearning to stay that extra minute, yet at the same time the music with it's pop-y rhythm and jingle jangle tune and Denver's oh-so laid back voice enticed me into a world of jetsetting dreams. Well, here I am: from Toronto to Vancouver, to Montreal, to Vancouver and back to Montreal, with trips to London, Paris, Israel, New York City and Dallas in between. Here I am moving to Seoul with my husband and toddler in each hand. All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go, I'm standing here outside your door, I hate to wake you up to say goodbye...

Love you. Miss you. Keep in touch.

Here's another favourite rendition of the song by Chantal Kreviazuk: