John Fogerty and me

John Fogerty and me? Yeah, we go way back. Back to about 1969 when some of my friends' older brothers and sisters had a copy of "Creedence Clearwater Revival," the bands' self-titled first album. We'd put the record on when the older siblings weren't home. Suzy-Q just blew us away. (Being the very youngest of the baby-boomers, CCR introduced me to songs like that and Heard it Through the Grapvevine.) Fate would put us together again when Bayou Country would be the first record that I could call my own. My mother bought if for me while we were in a Woolworth's store. This record remains one of my favorites. As time went on, I would own all the CCR albums. And, as I learned to play guitar a little better, I would strum all the chords along with John. It took me years though, to figure out that John's voice was much higher than mine and I'd have to play the songs in a different key if I was going to sing them. So, John's been in the news lately with a new CD and a tour with Springsteen and the Vote for Change Tour. In case you've been on a deserted island, that means the Vote Bush out of Office Tour. And, in case you haven't read much of this blog or you don't know me well, I'll be voting for President Bush in November. Is John Fogerty still one of my heroes? Sure he is. I just went in to watch him on Leno singing an anti-war song; a new one, that is. I'd listen to him anywhere. I'd even go see him on the Vote for Change tour. Do I think he's misguided and naive? Yes, I do. I doubt that he has any idea how the real world works. Though his poetry is sometimes profound (or do I dare say, used to be profound), I wonder if the modern bard sees reality at all. Here's a stanza from one of all-time favorites:

Saw the people standin' A thousand years in chains Somebody said it different now, Look it's just the same Pharoahs spin the message Round and round the truth They could have saved a million people How can I tell you?

(Wrote a Song for Everyone - J. Fogerty 1969)