So right. What a hauntingly beautiful song. Does anyone write songs/sing about topics like this anymore? John Denver was amazing.

This is, without a doubt, the most haunting song I have ever heard, as well as the only one that successfully reduced me to tears. And I can't stop listening to it...May he live forever in his music and our hearts.

Wow. I remember this song from the 'Autograph' album, which was (I believe) the second JD album I ever got (the first being Greatest Hits Vol. 2) when I was ten or eleven years old. That was in 1981, right about when it first came out. I always thought 'Whalebones and Crosses' was so hauntingly beautiful. When I see the gentleness in his eyes it almost reduces me to tears. What a wonderful man. He wasn't perfect by far, but he touched so many people with his love. RIP, John.

Beautiful song sung by an amazing singer, JD was the absolute best

Beautiful song. John I sorely miss, even now.

I first listened to this song years ago, listened to it sung live in 84 or 85, but I never really understood it until I visited Barrow, AK this summer. Joe Henry's lyrics and John Denver's delivery... it doesn't get better than that. This is what I miss in music, the story, the passion. Thanks to both of these great artists.

JD never got the professional recognition he deserved.He was an amazing musician, singer, song writer and humanitarian. Although he outsold all the 70's artist and packed concerts all you ever heard about was the " big name " R&R groups. I was made fun of in jr high because I was a HUGE fan ( still am ) kids picked on me unmercifully and now after all these years, I find those SAME people listening to JD. He was and is a great inspiration to people all over the globe. Can anyone say THAT about Lead Zeplin?

He was 36 here. This was probably JD at hi peak. Oh how I miss him and his music

I just read the text and realized what an amazing job you have done putting sound and pictures together! Thanks you very much for letting us have this experience!

A very eery song, and especially because of the truth about it

Breathtaking song, thank you. :)

Magnificent!

what a wonderful video! This is one of mys favorite songs!

great vid and song i have been a j. d. fan my whole life and i never heard this before thanks for posting it

My ancestors hunted whales. I've stood under the maxilla of bowhead whales myself. I think it's impossible to have mixed feelings about indigenous whaling if you have a heart for both animals and people. When my home economics teacher wanted us to cook with margarine that had whale oil in it, I wanted to throw that thing into his face. His job was to teach children how to cook on a budget, but he was setting an incredibly bad example by saving a few pennies by buying whale oil margarine when there are fats made from domestic vegetable oils in the same supermarket. However, you have to take into account the situation of people who couldn't just go into the supermarket and buy tofu. Bowhead whales are the whales of choice for small-scale whale hunting because they are slow and you have a chance of catching up with them in rowboats. This is actually shown in the Alaska documentary narrated by and featuring John Denver. For someone who wanted whale hunting banned, he did his best to try to understand the Inuit who were still hunting bowhead whales. He pointed out how dangerous it was, how the meat was distributed once the whale was dead, that the Inuit used most of the animal they killed, and that the meat lasted them very long. He took part in the celebration of the hunt and ate some whale meat offered to him. In the end, he stated his position that indigenous whale hunting should be banned, too. Well, if you've seen all that gore I can understand if you want that to stop -- when I saw the whale being cut up, I felt both excited and sad. Excited because I felt connected to my ancestors, and sad when I reminded myself that those beautiful creatures have a life expectancy of 200 years.

can u post up any more of this special if so thanks jd is my idol and I love the great rare videos that u post of him thanks!!

I have this cassette.

Did anyone attend the August 24, 1982 concert in the music tent in Aspen? I would love to see any video.

📻❤️‍🩹✝️.

🎆♥️💛🌈📻👍

1:57. 🎶 3️⃣:1️⃣8️⃣

Why did he believe those glasses were a curse to him? The moment hell tool them off it was down hill to the the end. Like Michael Jackson mutilated his face.