About The Song
“Leaving on a Jet Plane” was written by John Denver in 1966, originally titled “Babe, I Hate to Go,” inspired by his frequent travels as a musician and his longing for home. Denver first recorded it for his 1966 demo album John Denver Sings. Peter, Paul and Mary, managed by Albert Grossman, who also worked with Denver, heard the song through mutual connections in the Greenwich Village folk scene. They recorded their version in 1967 at A&R Recording Studios in New York City, produced by Grossman and Milt Okun. The track was included on their album Album 1700, released on September 2, 1967, by Warner Bros. Records. It was later released as a single on October 8, 1969, with “The House Song” as the B-side, capitalizing on the trio’s rising fame. The song, running 3:27, is a folk-pop ballad.
The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 at position 82 on October 25, 1969, and reached number 1 on December 20, 1969, for one week, becoming Peter, Paul and Mary’s only chart-topping hit. It stayed on the Hot 100 for 17 weeks and hit number 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart for six weeks. Internationally, it peaked at number 2 in Canada on the RPM Top Singles chart, number 8 in the UK, and number 5 in Australia. The song sold over one million copies, earning a gold record certification. Cash Box praised it as a “gentle, poignant ballad” with “smooth harmonies and universal appeal.”
Background details include Denver’s personal context for the song: he wrote it during a layover at Washington, D.C.’s airport, reflecting on his relationship with his then-fiancée, Annie Martell. Peter, Paul and Mary’s decision to release it as a single in 1969 followed the song’s growing popularity from Album 1700. The trio’s version, featuring Mary Travers’ lead vocals, emphasized emotional clarity over Denver’s rawer original. The song was covered by artists like Frank Sinatra (1970), The Chad Mitchell Trio (1967), and Spanky and Our Gang (1967). Its inclusion in films like Armageddon (1998) and TV shows like Glee (2009) extended its legacy.
Expert commentary includes AllMusic’s Matthew Greenwald, who called the trio’s rendition “definitive” for its polished arrangement and Travers’ vocal delivery. Songfacts noted that Denver was thrilled with the cover, as it launched his songwriting career, leading to his own hit version in 1973 (number 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart). Rolling Stone highlighted its role in the folk-pop crossover of the late 1960s. No major controversies surrounded the song, though its release coincided with the trio’s temporary breakup in 1970 due to personal and professional strains. The song’s simple chord structure and universal theme of departure made it a folk staple, performed by the trio at events like the 1969 anti-Vietnam War rallies.
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Lyric
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 taxi’s waitin’, he’s blowin’ his horn
Already I’m so lonesome I could dieSo 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 goThere’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
Every place I go, I’ll think of you
Every song I sing, I’ll sing for you
When I come back, I’ll bring your wedding ringSo 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 goNow 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 sayKiss 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