Sitting in my drafts folder for a couple of weeks has been this tidbit about a very slight controversy in Colorado around a resolution to make John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” the state song.

‘A high is medically the releasing of endorphins in the brain — yes, drugs cause it, but so do lots of other things,” said State Senator Bob Hagedorn, a Democrat from the suburbs of Denver who successfully led the drive on Monday to make Mr. Denver’s anthem ”Rocky Mountain High” Colorado’s second state song. The tune will have joint status with ”Where the Columbines Grow,” which pretty much everyone agrees is about flowers.

”We could be talking about guys who’ve been fishing all day, or kids pigging out on s’mores, with the chocolate,” Senator Hagedorn said, referring to other endorphin-producing activities.

Indeed.

But here’s what makes this noteworthy to me:

Born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. in Roswell, N.M., the singer originally considered calling himself John Sommerville, according to his official Web site, Johndenver.com, before settling on Colorado’s capital city for his stage name and Aspen in the central Rockies as his home.

I know, it’s spelled slightly differently than Somerville, MA, but what if John Denver had chosen Somerville, MA, as his namesake, and made it his home. Would it have meant that the 70’s would have been filled with the mellow sounds of John Sommerville singing about the joys of bowling at Sacco’s, throwing back a pint at Sligo’s, the peaceful natural beauty of the Mystic River?