April 29, 2022 —– Chart #141
Welcome to the 141st edition of Chart of the Week. SongChart is now on FaceBook! CLICK HERE to like our page. We have a fun song from 1970 today by CCR. “Lookin’ out My Back Door” is a song recorded by the American band Creedence Clearwater Revival. Written by the band’s lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter, John Fogerty, it is included on their 1970 album Cosmo’s Factory; this was the group’s fifth album, and was also their fifth and final number-two Billboard hit, held off the top by Diana Ross’s version of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”.
The song’s lyrics, filled with colorful, dream-like imagery, lead some to believe that it is about drugs. According to the drug theory, the “flying spoon” was a reference to a cocaine or heroin spoon, and the crazy animal images were an acid trip. Fogerty, however, has stated in interviews that the song was actually written for his then three-year-old son, Josh. Fogerty has also said that the reference to a parade passing by was inspired by the Dr. Seuss book And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.
The song begins and ends with the mention of Illinois, and locking the front door in a vain attempt to prevent his troubles there from following him home. Country singer Buck Owens is also mentioned in the song, and the music reflects some of the Bakersfield sound Owens made famous.
John Cameron Fogerty (born May 28, 1945) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. Together with Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, and his brother Tom Fogerty, he founded the band Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), for which he was the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter. The group had nine top-10 singles and eight gold albums between 1968 and 1972, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Since CCR parted ways in 1972, Fogerty has had a successful solo career, which continues. He was listed on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of 100 Greatest Songwriters (at No. 40) and the list of 100 Greatest Singers (at No. 72). His songs include “Proud Mary”, “Bad Moon Rising”, “Fortunate Son”, “Green River”, “Down on the Corner”, “Who’ll Stop the Rain”, “Centerfield” and “The Old Man Down the Road”.
For you guitar players out there, Fogerty’s style is one to study and learn from. Often harder to play than it sounds, Fogerty’s guitar work is more about a rockabilly feel than shredding speed. His work gives CCR a feel that is truly unique.
Gotta love The Big Lebowski: https://youtu.be/iApz08Bh53w
Keep rockin my friends,
Stan