Cool Covers: “Fortunate Son”
John Fogerty wrote the perfect statement of righteous rage in the late 1960s: “Fortunate Son.” Creedence Clearwater Revival’s version of the song reached No. 4 on the pop charts in 1969; Fogerty has said it was inspired by watching David Eisenhower and Julie Nixon, the daughter and grandson of Presidents, living their privileged lives on TV. The song appears on Willy and the Poor Boys, which has just been reissued (again) by Fantasy Records as part of a 40th anniversary celebration; the version included here is a live cut which appears as an extra on the new CD.
Todd Snider is a singer/songwriter from Oregon who’s been knocking around Austin lately; his new album Peace Queer features a stripped-down version of “Fortunate Son” that veers closer to raw blues – it’s just as angry as John Fogerty was four decades ago. (You can download the entire Peace Queer EP at Snider’s website; just “buy” it for $0.00!)
And a footnote: David Eisenhower enlisted in the Navy reserves to escape Vietnam, and today Julie Nixon Eisenhower supports Barack Obama.
MP3: “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival (live)
30 Days Out 
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