The Creedence Clearwater Revival song John Fogerty can’t stand:
John Fogerty, the leader of countercultural legends Creedence Clearwater Revival, has always been harsh on himself as a songwriter. After all, this attitude pushed him to new heights in his heyday and saw him conceive some of the most influential songs of his generation. From ‘Proud Mary to ‘Fortunate Son’, Fogerty’s works are cornerstones of popular culture.
A true artiste who espouses more self-awareness than most, Fogerty understands the parameters of his talent and has been openly critical of some of his best-loved songs over the years. As with any musician of note, he’s also acutely aware of his most impactful ones. After all, the band wouldn’t be so lauded if their songs weren’t actually any good.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, due to its origins and the quality of the music itself, Fogerty believes that ‘Proud Mary’ from 1969’s Bayou Country is his finest work. Famously, he distanced himself from the song for years after its release due to the success of Ike and Tina Turner’s rendition.
The songwriter explained in Hank Bordowitz’s Bad Moon Rising: The Unofficial History of Creedence Clearwater: “I had the chord changes, the minor chord where it says, ‘Big wheel keep on turnin’/Proud Mary keep on burnin” (or ‘boinin’,’ using my funky pronunciation I got from Howling’ Wolf). By the time I hit ‘Rolling, rolling, rolling on the river,’ I knew I had written my best song. It vibrated inside me. When we rehearsed it, I felt like Cole Porter.”
Yet, despite the timeless essence of ‘Proud Mary’, which Fogerty wrote when he was still in the Armed Forces, there are many fan favourites that he has made it clear he is not a fan of. One of the most prominent is ‘Wrote a Song for Everyone’ from the band’s 1969 masterpiece, Green River.
Notably, the frontman sings at one point in the emotive track, “Wrote a song for everyone / Wrote a song for truth,” which is clearly a manifestation of his egalitarian personality and countercultural philosophy, as he takes the powers that be to task in the lyrics, by assuming a fictional, but albeit semi-autobiographical character. This honesty was always critical to the success of Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Despite the song being one of the highlights of Green River and a compositional triumph, Fogerty has said that he wishes he’d recorded the Creedence Clearwater original differently. Of course, Fogerty is a perfectionist and once revealed that the “quirkiness” he perceives in it irritates him. He even conceded that he destroyed every copy of the first version of ‘Wrote a Song for Everyone’ as he never wanted the outtakes to go public. As fans of CCR will know, this was not the first time Fogerty has been so extreme.
That perfectionism was part of what made Creedence Clearwater Revival so remarkably consistent during their short lifespan. Between 1968 and 1970, the band released a relentless stream of albums and hit singles, yet Fogerty rarely allowed himself to become complacent.
Even songs that audiences embraced immediately were still scrutinised in his mind, with the songwriter often hearing flaws that no one else could detect. It created tension within the group at times, but it also pushed Creedence toward a level of quality control that few rock bands could maintain at such a frantic pace.
In many ways, Fogerty’s frustration with ‘Wrote a Song for Everyone’ highlights the strange disconnect that often exists between artists and listeners. While he hears quirks and imperfections in the recording, fans hear one of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s warmest and most human songs. Its reflective tone and understated arrangement helped showcase a more vulnerable side to Fogerty’s songwriting, proving that his talent extended far beyond swamp-rock anthems and protest songs.
Even if he remains dissatisfied with the recording itself, the song’s lasting influence suggests the audience heard something timeless in it long before he did.
It’s ironic that Fogerty has such misgivings about the song, as Jeff Tweedy, the Wilco leader and a spiritual successor to Creedence Clearwater Revival, mentioned that the track significantly influenced him in his formative years. Therefore, by proxy, ‘Wrote a Song for Everyone’ has had a much greater impact on popular culture than Fogerty probably comprehends.
