Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Roy M. Elias
Ms. Felicia C. Dziadek
ENGL 1301 Sec
28 February 2013
Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival Creedence Clearwater Revival 's (CCR) song titled "Fortunate Son" is a powerful protest song that represents the out cry of a working class people seeing the conflict in Vietnam as a “rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight” (Goldberg 46). The Vietnam War spawned more than its fair share of protest records and at times it seems that the 1960’s antiwar movement became almost synonymous with 1960’s rock n ' roll; however, "Fortunate Son" may well have been the definitive antiwar anthem. John Fogerty uses imagery, repetition, idioms, and simile to demonstrate to the audience; class resentment, clashing worldviews, and assumptions about the nature of America 's place in the world. Rolling Stone magazine ranked "Fortunate Son" #99 on their list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" (Goldberg 46). The “Willy and the Poor Boys” album came out in November 1969 shortly after the “Silent Majority” speech from President Nixon. The band members included John Fogerty on vocals and guitar, Tom Fogerty on guitar, Stu Cook on bass, and Doug Clifford on drums. John Fogerty wrote and produced this concise and impassioned protest anthem show casing how the under privileged were utilized to back up the ideals of the over privileged. “In 1968 I always used to say that I wanted to make records they would still play on the radio in ten years, ' ' said former CCR leader John Fogerty (Goldberg 46). In 1999 CCR was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. ``It 's quite an honor, ' ' he said proudly. ``Being in the same club, you might say, with Elvis, Booker T. and the MGs and, of course, the Beatles is awesome” (Goldberg 46). John was born in 1945 in a small, lower income, suburb in northern California. He began playing music as early as eight years old and made it career after graduating high school. His blue-collar mentality comes through in
Ms. Felicia C. Dziadek
ENGL 1301 Sec
28 February 2013
Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival Creedence Clearwater Revival 's (CCR) song titled "Fortunate Son" is a powerful protest song that represents the out cry of a working class people seeing the conflict in Vietnam as a “rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight” (Goldberg 46). The Vietnam War spawned more than its fair share of protest records and at times it seems that the 1960’s antiwar movement became almost synonymous with 1960’s rock n ' roll; however, "Fortunate Son" may well have been the definitive antiwar anthem. John Fogerty uses imagery, repetition, idioms, and simile to demonstrate to the audience; class resentment, clashing worldviews, and assumptions about the nature of America 's place in the world. Rolling Stone magazine ranked "Fortunate Son" #99 on their list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" (Goldberg 46). The “Willy and the Poor Boys” album came out in November 1969 shortly after the “Silent Majority” speech from President Nixon. The band members included John Fogerty on vocals and guitar, Tom Fogerty on guitar, Stu Cook on bass, and Doug Clifford on drums. John Fogerty wrote and produced this concise and impassioned protest anthem show casing how the under privileged were utilized to back up the ideals of the over privileged. “In 1968 I always used to say that I wanted to make records they would still play on the radio in ten years, ' ' said former CCR leader John Fogerty (Goldberg 46). In 1999 CCR was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. ``It 's quite an honor, ' ' he said proudly. ``Being in the same club, you might say, with Elvis, Booker T. and the MGs and, of course, the Beatles is awesome” (Goldberg 46). John was born in 1945 in a small, lower income, suburb in northern California. He began playing music as early as eight years old and made it career after graduating high school. His blue-collar mentality comes through in
Cited: Hurwitz, Matt. "Creedence Clearwater Revival." Mix 33.3 (2009): 36. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 22 Feb. 2013. Goldberg, Michael. "Fortunate Son." Rolling Stone 649 (1993): 46. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 23 Feb. 2013. Christopher, Walters. "Creedence Clearwater Revival." Britannica Biographies (2012): 1. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 24 Feb. 2013. "Idiom." Webster Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield, MA. Merriam-Webster Inc. (1984) 598.