Ten Favorite Rock Songwriters: John Fogerty (#7)

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Here comes another one of those great, great songwriters from the world of rock and roll who hold a special place in my heart. I want to thank @teamfreak16 for the inspiration after he counted down his ten favorite male and female songwriters. here's the next person on my list. #7: John Fogerty Again, probably no surprise to anyone. (The only real surprises are in the songwriting teams list.) I remember hearing "Lookin' Out My Back Door" from my brother's room when I was a kid and figured this guy had to be okay because he mentioned Buck Owens in a song! (Funny aside: according to Robbie Fulks, Buck gave Fogerty a red, white, and blue guitar to thank him for the mention. When Fulks mentioned Owens in the song "The Buck Starts Here" Owens sent him a t-shirt that said "Buck Owens'," yes, including the apostrophe.) When I've used Fogerty songs before, either his solo material or the CCR days, I've mentioned the fact that Fogerty incorporates numerous meanings into the song. For instance, a song that I mentioned to JJ earlier, "Who'll Stop the Rain," can be interpreted as a political song ("five year plans and new deals wrapped in golden chains") or a song about Woodstock ("heard the singers playing and how we cheered for more, the crowd had rushed together, trying to keep warm, still the rain kept falling") or -- imagine this -- a song about rain. "Centerfield" is another good example. That is reportedly the song you hear when you enter the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. That song can also be about Fogerty's comeback after years of frustration, disillusionment, and downright anger over his earlier CCR career ("rounding third and headed for home, it's a brown-eyed handsome man" is a line from a Chuck Berry song that deals with a baseball player, so the reference is dual). But don't think that Fogerty hides everything in cryptic, multiple-meaning lyrics. "Fortunate Son" is pretty straightforward (remember, Fogerty was in the Army prior to CCR forming), and his "Zanz Kant Danz" from Centerfield was an obvious swipe at Saul Zaentz, the owner of Fantasy Records who owned the copyright on Fogerty's CCR material (and even sued Fogerty for plagiarizing himself in "The Old Man Down the Road"!). Fogerty has enjoyed two legendary careers -- with CCR and as a solo artist. He is definitely one of the great songwriters in American rock history. John Fogerty Born John Cameron Fogerty, May 28, 1945, Berkeley, CA Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - 1993 (with CCR) Songwriters Hall of Fame - 2005 Best-known songs: "Lookin' Out My Back Door," "Down on the Corner," Proud Mary" (also covered by Ike & Tina Turner); "Centerfield." Here's one of those great CCR songs that you just don't get to hear on the radio anymore: