▁of ▁the ▁four ▁official ▁state ▁anth ems ▁of ▁West ▁Virginia . ▁ ▁Com position ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁D ano ff ▁and ▁Ni vert ▁co - w rote ▁a ▁song ▁called ▁" I ▁Gu ess ▁He ' d ▁R ather ▁Be ▁in ▁Colorado ." ▁ ▁Alan ▁Cow ell , ▁manager ▁of ▁the ▁D . C . ▁night ▁club , ▁The ▁Cell ar ▁Do or , ▁where ▁D ano ff ▁had ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁sound ▁and ▁light ▁man ▁while ▁att ending ▁Ge or get own ▁University , ▁recommended ▁it ▁to ▁frequent ▁Cell ar ▁Do or ▁head lin er ▁and ▁recent ▁Colorado ▁trans plant ▁John ▁Den ver . ▁ ▁Ult imately , ▁" Take ▁Me ▁Home , ▁Country ▁Ro ads " ▁was ▁the ▁result . ▁D ano ff ▁( from ▁Spring field , ▁Massachusetts ) ▁has ▁stated ▁he ▁had ▁never ▁been ▁to ▁West ▁Virginia ▁before ▁co - writing ▁and ▁recording ▁the ▁song . ▁ ▁In sp iration ▁for ▁the ▁song ▁had ▁come ▁while ▁the ▁couple ▁was ▁driving ▁along ▁Clo pper ▁Road ▁to ▁a ▁Ni vert ▁family ▁re union ▁in ▁nearby ▁Mont gom ery ▁County , ▁Maryland . ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁radio ▁interview ▁with ▁Ni vert , ▁the ▁road ▁is ▁close ▁to ▁Washington , ▁D . C ., ▁where ▁Den ver ▁often ▁worked . ▁To ▁pass ▁the ▁time ▁en ▁route , ▁D ano ff ▁had ▁made ▁up ▁a ▁ball ad ▁about ▁the ▁little ▁w inding ▁roads ▁they ▁were ▁taking . ▁He ▁had ▁even ▁briefly ▁considered ▁using ▁" M ass achusetts " ▁rather