I'm Sorry (John Denver song)

"I'm Sorry" is a song written and recorded by American country-folk singer-songwriter John Denver and released in 1975. It was the final number-one pop hit released during his career. The flip side of "I'm Sorry" was "Calypso", and, like its A-side, enjoyed substantial radio airplay on Top 40 stations.

"I'm Sorry"
Single by John Denver
from the album Windsong
B-side	"Calypso"
Released	July 1975 (US)
Recorded	1975
Genre	Country[1]
Length	3:32
Label	RCA Victor
Songwriter(s)	John Denver
Producer(s)	Milton Okun
John Denver singles chronology
"Thank God I'm a Country Boy" (1975) "I'm Sorry" / "Calypso" (1975) "Fly Away" (1975)

"I'm Sorry" is an apology for forsaken love.^[2] In the lyrics, the singer's love interest has left him and he's still broken up about it weeks later. Even though he tells them he's doing fine, their mutual friends know he's not. The singer confesses "I can't believe you went away."^[3] Cash Box said it "is replete with the classic Denver touches: sweet arrangement by Lee Holdridge, and emotive lyrics."^[4]

Chart performance

"I'm Sorry" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on September 27, 1975, and scored number one on the Easy Listening chart.^[5] In Canada, it also reached number one.

Six weeks after topping the U.S. pop charts, the song was Denver's third and final number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.^[6] Billboard ranked it at number 77 on its Hot 100 singles of 1975.

Weekly charts

Chart (1975)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7]	7
Canada RPM Top Singles[8]	1
Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks	1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	4
South Africa (Springbok)[9]	8
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1975)	Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7]	60

All-time charts

Chart (1958–2018)	Position
US Billboard Hot 100[10]	242

References

1. Stanley, Bob (September 13, 2013). "Beyond the Blue Horizon: Country and Western". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 403. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
2. Heibutzki, Ralph. Review of Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 by John Denver. Allmusic.com.
3. YouTube.com "I'm Sorry" by John Denver. Retrieved Oct. 11, 2024.
4. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 9, 1975. p. 17. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
5. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001. Record Research. p. 76.
6. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944–2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 103.
7. "National Top 100 Singles for 1975". Kent Music Report. December 29, 1975. Retrieved January 15, 2022 – via Imgur.
8. "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. October 1, 1975. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
9. "SA Charts 1965 – March 1989". Retrieved September 5, 2018.
10. "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 10, 2018.