John Denver’s popular song “Country Roads (Take Me Home)” has gone international, with NFL fans in Germany appropriating the song for the annual Munich game. From the countryside of West Virginia to the streets of Europe, it’s a fascinating song choice that bridges two polar opposite worlds that also have a language barrier.

Connected by song and pigskin, music and football have found a way to unite the world in ways many can only dream of. Here’s a look at how the 1971 hit became the NFL’s German anthem.

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Why do we sing “Country Roads” in Germany?

American influence can be found everywhere, so it’s no surprise to see a hit song tied to West Virginia make its way across the Atlantic to Europe.

Before the Munich match, there was Oktoberfest. Germany’s biggest beer festival, known for its beer drinking, is one of the places where “country roads” began to take hold. Like most drunk, bratwurst-loving, schnitzel-eating people, it’s hard not to get carried away by the melody. The bottom line is that the American hit is simply a fun song to sing. Bill Danoff, who wrote the song, was asked about its popularity in Germany in a 2013 interview with The Washington Post.