"
Fortunate Son" is a song by
Creedence Clearwater RevivalCreedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
on their album
Willy and the Poor BoysWilly and the Poor Boys is the fourth album by American band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released in 1969 . The only mention of the album's title is in the chorus of "Down on the Corner"....
in 1969. It was released as a single, together with "
Down on the Corner"Down on the Corner" is a song by the American band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It appeared on their fourth studio album, Willy and the Poor Boys . The song chronicles the tale of the fictional band Willy and the Poor Boys, and how they play on street corners to cheer people up and ask for nickels...
," in September 1969. This song reached #14 on the United States charts. It won the R.I.A.A. Gold Disc award in December 1970.
The song was inspired by
David EisenhowerDwight David Eisenhower II is an American author, public policy fellow, and namesake of the U.S. Presidential retreat, Camp David. He is the grandson of the 34th President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the son-in-law of the 37th President of the United States Richard M...
, the grandson of President Dwight David Eisenhower who married Julie Nixon, the daughter of President
Richard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States and is the only president to resign the office. He was also the 36th Vice President of the United States ....
in 1968 (Eisenhower later enlisted in the
Navy ReserveThe United States Navy Reserve , until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called Reservists, are enrolled in the Selected Reserve , the the Full Time Support , or Retired Reserve program...
)..
"
Fortunate Son" is a song by
Creedence Clearwater RevivalCreedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
on their album
Willy and the Poor BoysWilly and the Poor Boys is the fourth album by American band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released in 1969 . The only mention of the album's title is in the chorus of "Down on the Corner"....
in 1969. It was released as a single, together with "
Down on the Corner"Down on the Corner" is a song by the American band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It appeared on their fourth studio album, Willy and the Poor Boys . The song chronicles the tale of the fictional band Willy and the Poor Boys, and how they play on street corners to cheer people up and ask for nickels...
," in September 1969. This song reached #14 on the United States charts. It won the R.I.A.A. Gold Disc award in December 1970.
The song was inspired by
David EisenhowerDwight David Eisenhower II is an American author, public policy fellow, and namesake of the U.S. Presidential retreat, Camp David. He is the grandson of the 34th President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the son-in-law of the 37th President of the United States Richard M...
, the grandson of President Dwight David Eisenhower who married Julie Nixon, the daughter of President
Richard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States and is the only president to resign the office. He was also the 36th Vice President of the United States ....
in 1968 (Eisenhower later enlisted in the
Navy ReserveThe United States Navy Reserve , until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called Reservists, are enrolled in the Selected Reserve , the the Full Time Support , or Retired Reserve program...
)..
John FogertyJohn Cameron Fogerty is an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known for his time with the swamp rock/roots rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival and as a #1 solo recording artist. He was born in Berkeley, California and is the younger brother of Tom Fogerty...
told
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...
: "Julie Nixon was hanging around with David Eisenhower, and you just had the feeling that none of these people were going to be involved with the war. In 1969, the majority of the country thought morale was great among the troops, and like eighty percent of them were in favor of the war. But to some of us who were watching closely, we just knew we were headed for trouble."
This song was popular during the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
and is included in several Vietnam films and computer games. The song symbolizes the thoughts of a man who is being
draftedConscription is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by an established authority. It is most often used in the specific sense of requiring citizens to serve in the armed forces...
. This
spoke out against the war in VietnamOpposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War is significant because it was the first time a war was shown and accessed through the media to the public in the United States.-1945:...
. It is sung from the perspective of one of these men (who is not the son of a
SenatorThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate and the House are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution . Each U.S state is represented by two senators,...
, millionaire, or military leader, thus not a "fortunate son"), who ends up fighting in the Vietnam War.
Fogerty performed the song in front of President
Bill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He was the third-youngest president; only Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy were younger when entering office...
and a national TV audience on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the "America's Millennium" show on December 31, 1999.
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...
ranked the song #99 on their list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time."
On Fogerty's 2007 album
RevivalRevival is a 2007 studio album by American swamp rock singer-songwriter/guitarist John Fogerty, and is his first new album in three years. The album is also the third album since rejoining Fantasy Records...
, the song "I Can't Take It No More," which speaks out against the
Iraq WarThe Iraq War, also known as the Occupation of Iraq or Operation Iraqi Freedom, is an ongoing military campaign which began on March 20, 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by a multinational force led by troops from the United States and the United Kingdom.Prior to the war, the governments of the United...
, implicitly links the Iraq and Vietnam wars by referring to
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush was the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000....
as a fortunate son.
Cover versions
The song has since been recorded or notably performed by
Bob SegerRobert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock musician and singer-songwriter.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as The Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s. By the early 1970s, he had dropped the "System" from his recordings, and continued to strive for...
,
Cat PowerCat Power is the stage name of American singer/songwriter Chan Marshall . She is known for her minimalist style, sparse guitar and piano playing, and breathy vocals.-Biography:...
,
Gordon Downie and the Country of MiraclesGordon Downie is a Canadian rock musician, writer and occasional actor. He is the lead singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. He has released two solo albums, Coke Machine Glow in 2001 and Battle of the Nudes in 2003; the former was sold with a book of poetry of the...
,
Brandi CarlileBrandi Carlile is an American singer and songwriter. Carlile's music has been categorized in several genres, including pop, rock, alternative country, indie and folk.-Early life:...
,
Pearl JamPearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
,
U2U2 are a rock band that formed in Dublin, Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr...
,
Sleater-KinneySleater-Kinney was an American indie rock band that existed from 1994 to 2006.Formed in Olympia, Washington, the group's name is derived from Sleater Kinney Road, Interstate 5 off ramp #108 in Lacey, Washington, the location of one of their early practice spaces...
,
Corrosion of ConformityCorrosion of Conformity is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina formed in 1982.-Early years :...
, The
Dropkick MurphysDropkick Murphys are an Irish-American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts, USA. First playing together in the basement of a friend's barbershop, they blended traditional folk rock and punk rock known as Celtic punk...
, .38 Special,
Circle JerksThe Circle Jerks are an American punk band, formed circa 1979 in Hermosa Beach, California. It was formed by Black Flag's original singer, Keith Morris, and future Bad Religion guitarist Greg Hetson. They were among the preeminent hardcore punk bands of the L.A. scene in the early 1980s.The band...
,
MinutemenMinutemen were members of teams of select men from the American colonial militia during the American Revolutionary War. They provided a highly mobile, rapidly deployed force that allowed the colonies to respond immediately to threats of fellow soldiers in the war . The minutemen were among the...
,
Kid RockRobert James Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter with five Grammy Award nominations...
, W.A.S.P.,
Todd SniderTodd Daniel Snider is a singer-songwriter born October 11, 1966 in Portland, Oregon.Best known for his wry humor, Snider has been a fixture on the Americana, alt-country, and folk scene since his debut on MCA, entitled Songs for the Daily Planet, named for the bar where Snider used to play...
and
Patty GriffinPatty Griffin, born Patricia Jean Griffin, March 16, 1964, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She is especially known for her down-home crafting of songs and her connection to musicians including Emmylou Harris, Ellis Paul, and the Dixie Chicks, who have played with her onstage as well...
, and
Bruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American singer-songwriter. He records and tours with the E Street Band...
. The Screaming Jets recorded a cover of "Fortunate Son" and released it as a B-side to their 1996 single, "Sacrifice".
Wyclef JeanWyclef Neluset Jean is a multiplatinum Haitian-American musician, actor, producer and former-member of the hip hop trio The Fugees...
's cover of the song was played over the beginning and ending credits of
The Manchurian CandidateThe Manchurian Candidate is a 2004 American film based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Richard Condon, and a reimagining of the previous 1962 film....
(2004).
Sleater-KinneySleater-Kinney was an American indie rock band that existed from 1994 to 2006.Formed in Olympia, Washington, the group's name is derived from Sleater Kinney Road, Interstate 5 off ramp #108 in Lacey, Washington, the location of one of their early practice spaces...
also performed a cover of the song, which they dedicated to George W. Bush, during the WedRock benefit concert on April 28, 2004. That version also appeared on the subsequent live album release.
Ivan NevilleIvan Neville is a multi-instrumentalist musician, singer, and songwriter. He is the son of Aaron Neville and nephew to members of the Neville Brothers....
recorded an all-star funk version on the benefit album Our New Orleans following the Katrina-related flooding in 2005. American
pop punkPop punk is a fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. It is typically referred to as a strand of alternative rock that combines power-pop melodies and chord changes with speedy punk tempos and loud guitars...
band
Fenix*TXFenix TX is an American four-piece pop punk band. The band originally formed as Riverfenix in 1995 in Houston, Texas. They released an EP, G.B.O.H., and an album, Riverfenix, on independent record labels, before having to change their name due to a cease and desist order from the estate of actor...
also included a live version of "Fortunate Son" on their 2005 album
Purple Reign in BloodPurple Reign in Blood is the third album released by the pop punk band Fenix TX. The album is a live recording and it marks their first performance together in almost four years. The album was released on November 8, 2005...
.
My Chemical RomanceMy Chemical Romance is a Grammy-nominated American rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, bassist Mikey Way, guitarists Frank Iero and Ray Toro and drummer Bob Bryar. Shortly after forming, the band signed to Eyeball Records and released their...
are also known to play a version of "Fortunate Son" in their 2007 Black Parade Tour. Pro surfer
Donavon FrankenreiterDonavon Frankenreiter, born December 10, 1972, in Downey, California, is an American musician and surfer. He is a long-time friend of Jack Johnson and his debut self-titled album was released in 2004 on Johnson's Brushfire Records through Universal Music and made the Australian ARIA Top-40 charts...
performs a slow acoustic version of the song on his 2007 EP "Recycled Recipes" and 5 Amp Blues included it in their set list in October 2008.
Todd SniderTodd Daniel Snider is a singer-songwriter born October 11, 1966 in Portland, Oregon.Best known for his wry humor, Snider has been a fixture on the Americana, alt-country, and folk scene since his debut on MCA, entitled Songs for the Daily Planet, named for the bar where Snider used to play...
recorded this song on his 2008 EP "Peace Queer."
Uses in Media
Fortunate Son is used in the movie
Forrest GumpForrest Gump is a American comedy-drama film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis, stars Tom Hanks, Robin Wright Penn, and Gary Sinise...
when Forrest is sent to
VietnamVietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east...
to fight in the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
. Forrest (
Tom HanksThomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title role in Forrest Gump, Commander James...
) is shown in a helicopter hovering over the
VietnamVietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east...
wetlands. The song appeared in
Live Free or Die HardLive Free or Die Hard, , is a action film, and the fourth installment in the Die Hard series. The film was directed by Len Wiseman and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane, the protagonist of the first three films. Supporting cast members included Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant, Mary Elizabeth...
. It also appeared in an episode of
American Dad!American Dad! is a satirical American animated series owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions and produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television....
entitled "
In Country...ClubIn Country...Club is the season premiere of the fifth season of American Dad!. It premiered on September 27, 2009, on Fox. The Episode was watched by 7.12 million viewers.-Plot:Steve has been chosen to sing the national anthem at the veteran's fair...
", during a reenactment of the Vietnam War.
A cover version of the song is available as downloadable content for the popular music game
Rock BandRock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
. The song is also used in the intro sequence of the game
Battlefield VietnamBattlefield Vietnam is the second computer game in Electronic Arts' Battlefield franchise after Battlefield 1942. The game was developed by the Swedish company Digital Illusions and published by Electronic Arts on March 15, 2004 in North America and days later in other parts of the world....
.
External links