The most misunderstood song John Fogerty ever wrote: “It’s hilarious”
For as long as songs have meaning, they leave themselves open to be misinterpreted. Just ask Bruce Springsteen and John Fogerty about that.
When Bruce Springsteen wrote ‘Born In The USA’, he did so because he felt inspired after meeting war veterans and better understanding the struggle they all went through. He bumped into Ron Kovic, who was confined to a wheelchair thanks to injuries that he sustained in Vietnam. The two met in Los Angeles, where Kovic invited Springsteen to come visit a veterans centre nearby in Venice.
“I’m usually pretty easy with people, but once we were at the centre, I didn’t know how to respond to what I was seeing,” said Springsteen when talking about the encounter during Springsteen On Broadway, “Talking about my own life to these guys seemed frivolous. There was homelessness and drug problems and post-traumatic stress – guys my age dealing with life-changing physical injuries.”
The song Springsteen wrote, dedicated to the Veterans, was about the struggles they encountered once they came back to America. It was a scathing indictment of the country he called home and that so many put their lives on the line for; however, it was widely misinterpreted by all of those who listened. A lot of politicians used the song as a full-throttle patriotic march, to the extent that Bruce Springsteen had to step in and explain the track.
John Fogerty has also been on the receiving end of misinterpretation. In 1970, he released the track ‘Fortunate Son’, which has since become one of his most famous tunes to this day. The song is anti-establishment at its very core, as it stands in defiance of government and war, pointing out how unfair it is that people in upper-class circles don’t need to fight in wars despite the fact that they’re the people who often initiate them.
“The song speaks more of the unfairness of class than war itself,” said Fogerty when he was discussing the meaning behind the song, “It’s the old saying about rich men making war and poor men having to fight them.”
This song was misinterpreted in the same way ‘Born In The USA’ was, as people thought that it was a patriotic song as opposed to one which was used to highlight the unfairness of the establishment. Fogerty said he was furious about the way so many politicians have used it, given he’s usually singing against them when he performs them. Fogerty still attests to this day that his classic song is his most popular as well as his most misunderstood, yet that’s just the risk you take when you write a track with deep meaning.
“I would say ‘Fortunate Son’. That’s misunderstood by a small percentage of people — people who seem to be conservative, right-wing, and probably Republican or some other ‘sm’ in that category,” said Fogerty, “And most notably by Mr. Trump. It’s happened before where people thought it was a patriotic ditty to wave the flag and all that, not really understanding the cynicism and absolute defiance I had in the song.”
He continued, “How can I say this? I can’t imagine using that song as a political rallying theme, particularly when you seem to be the person who I’m screaming about in the song on all three counts. It’s hilarious to me. Maybe I’m the one that misunderstands it, who knows?”
