Fortunate Son
1969 · Fantasy 634 · USA
- Artist
- Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Title
- Fortunate Son
- Release
- Down on the Corner / Fortunate Son
- Year
- 1969
- Label
- Fantasy # 634
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- USA
- Genre
- Rock · Pop Rock
- Primary theme
- Peace, Protest & Anti-War
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.…
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
American rock band formed 1967 in El Cerrito, California ('Fortunate Son'); disbanded 1972. [Source: Wikipedia]