Fortunate Son

Annotation

This song looked at social-economic inequality within the draft system. It suggested that wealthy people were able to avoid the draft, while American youngsters, from poor backgrounds, were sent to fight (and maybe die) in Vietnam. Written by John Fogerty of American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), the song "Fortunate Son" (Fantasy Records # 634) was inspired by David Eisenhower, the grandson of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who avoided the draft and Vietnam by joining the navy reserve (supposedly due to personal connections). The song featured on the album Willy and the Poor Boys (Fantasy Records # 8397). The song went to #14 in the US Billboard charts on 22 November 1969. Prior to this, in 1966, both John Fogerty and band mate Doug Clifford were called-up by the draftboard. Fogerty enlisted with the reserves, while Clifford joined the US coast guard reserve. Both were discharged in 1968. In a 1993 Rolling Stones interview, conducted by Michael Goldberg, John Fogerty said that: "It was written, of course, during the Nixon era, and well, let's say I was very non-supportive of Mr. Nixon. There just seemed to be this trickle down to the off-spring of people like him. I remember you would hear about Tricia Nixon and David Eisenhower...You got the impression that these people got preferential treatment, and the whole idea of being born wealthy or being born powerful seemed to really be coming to the fore in the late-Sixties confrontation of cultures".1Sources1riverising.tripod.com: John interviews↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Some folks are born made to wave the flag / Ooh, they're red, white and blue / And when the band plays 'Hail to the Chief' / Oh, they point the cannon at you / Lord, it ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son / It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no

Notes

Fantasy 634 (F-2756) on the multicoloured green, red and orange Fantasy label; "Fortunate Son" (J. C. Fogerty), Jondora Music, BMI, time 2:19; produced and arranged by John Fogerty. The picture sleeve, headed "Fantasy 634", bills "Fortunate Son / Down on the Corner" under the band's name and carries a collage of six dark, red-lit live photographs of the band members at guitar, drums and microphone. [From the record sleeve and labels]

About the artist

American rock band formed 1967 in El Cerrito, California ('Fortunate Son'); disbanded 1972. [Source: Wikipedia]

Themes

Anti-War · Draft

In collections

Draft Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]