The Critique of Class Behind “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival

In 1969, Creedence Clearwater Revival scored one of their biggest and most poignant hits with “Fortunate Son”. And it’s still relevant decades later.

The song was released in the middle of the Vietnam War and remains one of the most famous protest songs of the era. It’s often featured in movies and television shows about the war. Although, it’s not really about the war itself. And it is sometimes mistaken for a patriotic anthem. That’s thanks to its opening lines referencing the red, white, and blue American flag. But instead, “Fortunate Son” speaks out against the preferential treatment given to the wealthy and the children of politicians. The song calls attention to the ways they were able to avoid danger while average Americans paid the price.

“The song speaks more to the unfairness of class than war itself,” Fogerty has said. “It’s the old saying about rich men making war and poor men having to fight them.”

“Fortunate Son” was inspired by Fogerty’s time in the U.S. Army Reserve. And while it took him just 20 minutes to write, he’d been thinking about its premise for much longer. His anger and frustration are palpable not only through the lyrics but also in his vocal delivery, as well.

“It was written, of course, during the Nixon era, and well, let’s say I was very nonsupportive of Mr. Nixon,” Fogerty told Rolling Stone in 1993. “There just seemed to be this trickle down to the offspring of people like him. I remember you would hear about [daughter] Tricia Nixon and [her husband] David Eisenhower … You got the impression that these people got preferential treatment, and the whole idea of being born wealthy or being born powerful seemed to really be coming to the fore in the late-Sixties confrontation of cultures.”

The Sentiment of “Fortunate Son”

“Fortunate Son” opens with the patriotic imagery of a waving flag and the colors red, white, and blue. But the tone quickly shifts. It draws attention to the men who were sent to war and put directly in the line of fire.

Some folks are born, made to wave the flag
Ooh, their red, white and blue
And when the band plays “Hail to the Chief”
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord.

The chorus addresses who the “fortunate son” really is: the children of the wealthy and politicians whose privilege will keep them safe.

It ain’t me
It ain’t me
I ain’t no senator’s son, son
It ain’t me
It ain’t me
I ain’t no fortunate one, no.

The second verse takes aim at the wealthy, criticizing them for using their wealth to help only themselves and no one else. The chorus also repeats this theme, swapping out “senator’s son” for “millionaire’s son.”

Some folks are born, silver spoon in hand
Lord, don’t they help themselves, y’all
But when the taxman comes to the door
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yeah.

In the final verse, Fogerty sings about the men willing to give everything to their country. He sings about how, to the politicians sending them, whatever they had to give would never be enough.

Some folks inherit star spangled eyes
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord
And when you ask ’em, “How much should we give?”
Ooh, they only answer “More! More! More!”, Y’all.

Despite the song’s stance against the war, it remains supportive of the soldiers sent to fight it. In the end, it calls attention to the injustice of who was deployed and who was able to stay behind.

Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images