Album: Cosmo's Factory (1970)

Charted: 2

License This Song 

• Just got home from Illinois, lock the front door, oh boy!
  Got to sit down, take a rest on the porch.
  Imagination sets in, pretty soon I'm singing,
  
  Doo, doo, doo, Looking out my back door.
  There's a giant doing cartwheels,
  A statue wearing high heels.
  Look at all the happy creatures dancing on the lawn.
  A dinosaur Victrola listening to Buck Owens.
  Doo, doo, doo, Looking out my back door.
  
  Tambourines and elephants are playing in the band.
  Won't you take a ride on the flying spoon?
  Doo, doo doo.
  Wond'rous apparition provided by magician.
  Doo, doo, doo, Looking out my back door.
  
  Tambourines and elephants are playing in the band.
  Won't you take a ride on the flying spoon?
  Doo, doo doo.
  Bother me tomorrow, today, I'll buy no sorrows.
  Doo, doo, doo, Looking out my back door.
  
  Forward troubles Illinois, lock the front door, oh boy!
  Look at all the happy creatures dancing on the lawn.
  Bother me tomorrow, today, I'll buy no sorrows.
  Doo, doo, doo, Looking out my back door. Publisher: CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 26

• MeTo the "flying spoon" reference. Didn't anyone have children? Remember getting them to eat by waving the spoon around like an airplane. Making the airplane sounds? ... a flying spoon
  Memories of feeding a baby, reading Dr. Seuss to him, sitting on the back porch watching mom and son play(the happy creatures dancing on the lawn) Enjoying "normal" life after the long road trips.
• Roberto from BrooklynThis song is about America, it’s weirdness, it’s problems, it’s banality. Illinois is a reference to Lincoln, arguably our best president, and how despite ending the Civil War, the deep divide remains to this day. His reality here stinks, so he imagines all the bad things going on here as cartoonish ideas. “ A giant doing cart wheels”…..how Americans value pride and personal aggrandizement for even the smallest accomplishment. “ Statue wearing high heels”….a comment on how women here are treated as things put here for a man’s sexual amusement. “Look at all the happy creatures……..”…..a reference to American greed and envy, and how we use rationalization to abandon responsibility. “Dinosaur victrola….Buck Owens”…..people who refuse progress and seek the old and familiar no matter how irrelevant they are. “Tambourines and elephants….” Reference to How the right wing Republicans, and noisy Democrats perpetuate all of this. “Flying spoon..” every American has their drug, be it caffeine, pot, coke, or food. “Wondrous Apparition….Magicians” how politicians make lies seem like truth. America in a nutshell.
• Seventh Mist from 7th Heaven Sadly, the book that provided the inspiration ("To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street") has now been banned.
• Marcy Head from TexasCCR has been one of my favorite band for age!
• Lisa from State Of ConfusionHe’s listed as a child it’s John’s first wife.
  Here:
  https://50plusworld.com/john-fogerty-is-a-fortunate-son/
• Pete from Nowra, Australiaive searched everywhere theres no,mention of a Josh Fogerty
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn August 6, 1970, the 'Concert For Peace' took place at Shea Stadium in New York City, the concert marked the 25th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bomb...
  One of the acts* that performed were Creedence Clearwater Revival, at the time the quartet's "Lookin' Out My Back Door" b/w "Long As I Can See The Light" was in it's first week on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart, eight weeks later it would peak at #2* {for 1 week} and it spent 13 weeks on the Top 100...
  Between 1970 and 1976 the group had twenty records on the Top 100 chart; nine made the Top 10 with five reaching #2, and they never had a #1 record...
  Beside the above, their four other #2 records were "Proud Mary" for 3 weeks in 1969, "Bad Moon Rising" for 1 week in 1969, "Green River" for 1 week in 1969, and "Travelin' Band" for 2 weeks in 1970...
  Sadly, rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty passed away at the young age of 48 on September 6th, 1990...
  * The week that "Lookin' Out My Back Door" b/w "Long As I Can See The Light" was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Diana Ross.
• Eithne from IowaI think John Fogerty really was singing "Today I'll buy no sorrows." It's a common saying in the midwestern US but my California husband's older relatives also say it. What it means here in the midwest is that a lot of the troubles a person may be brooding over are self inflicted, so whenever you make a decision consider whether you really want to buy the sorrow that might come with that decision. It's also a reminder that many times, you can choose to focus on what you don't have (buy some sorrow) or you can look at all the riches you already have. (see also Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors".
• Jay from Centereach, Long Island, NyI think the lyrics should read "Today I'll bide no sorrows." It certainly sounds like Fogerty is saying "buy", but that doesn't really make sense. You cannot buy sorrow, even in a figurative way. "Bide", which can mean "endure", makes much more sense. He is looking out his back door at all the wonders of nature and imagining things about the animals in his yard. (By the way, one can use his imagination without using drugs.) He is happy and doesn't want it to stop, so he will endure no sorrow today.
• Peter from Los Angeles, CaIt's really hard to believe that this song is not about drugs. The lyrics "Wondrous apparition, provided by magician," kind of gives it away. Another word for magician is sorcerer. In ancient times sorcerers were people who provided pharmaceuticals (drugs). Of course he said it was for his child, congress was trying to censor songs that had drug references back then.
• Matt from Sf, CaOK guys, look. While Creedence were never into psychedelic drugs, they smoked weed. OK, I can't back that up with any hard facts, but as a rule of thumb, if they were rock musicians in the 60's (ESPECIALLY if they played at Woodstock), and never publicly spoke out against drugs (like Frank Zappa did), then they probably toked, at least a little.
  
  And to everyone saying what a great guy John Fogerty is, he was kind of a jerk to the rest of the band towards the end, and he never reconciled with his brother even after he contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion
  
  But I'll admit, he's still relatively respectable compared to many other rock stars of the era.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyAlways love CCR. I guess they are the "Bridesmaids" of the Top 100; with 'Lookin' Out My Back Door' being the last of five of their records that peaked at #2 and never having a song reach No. 1. But that doesn't matter, they were one of the greatest bands of all time!!!
• Kaitlyn from Boston, MaI thought that the "Flying Spoon" was referring to the Little or Big Dipper constellations. I may be way off, since it doesn't really relate to the rest of the lyrics.
  
  
• Ellie from Wheeling, WvListening to this song in the late 60's, my friends and I always thought John Fogerty was making reference to the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, IL and the antiwar demonstration and the infamous "Chicago Seven." "Just got home from Illinois, lock the front door, oh boy, got to sit down, take a rest on the porch..." Just letting his mind relax and forget all the commotion.
• Judy from Horsham, RiWhen ever I get sad I think of this song and imagine, just sitting there and watching this wonderful parade of creaturs dancing on the lawn. It's wonderful to be able to use your imagination!No drugs, how wonderful!! Judy Horsham,PA
• Lalah from Wasilla, AkI never connected this song with the Dr. Seus book "Mulberry Street" but I can hear and see it now. I was a kid when I first heard it so it will always be about playing in the back yard and woods. I guess people will always put a bit of themselves in what they hear. I bet deviants think it's about sex and addicts are sure it's about drugs when Perry Como sings "Catch A Falling Star And Put It In Your Pocket". I'm glad that most comments here agree it's a song for a child and not a trip.
• Manyana from Villagehalfforlorn, EuropeMy favourite line is: "Bother me tomorrow, today, I'll buy no sorrows!" Makes for a great T-shirt inscription and it reminds me of a song by John Prine named "It's A Big Old Goofy World":
  
  ...Kiss a little baby
  Give the world a smile
  If you take an inch
  Give 'em back a mile
  Cause if you lie like a rug
  And you don't give a damn
  You're never gonna be
  As happy as a clam...
• Patrick from Bremen, GaWhen you listen to the lyrics, you can't help but think about the Dr. Seuss book "And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street."
• Ccr from Fondy, WiMan i agree, John seems like the kinda guy that would respect and honor the integrity of good clean lyrics creedence clearwater revival is a great band
• Steven from West Carrollton, OhYeah- John doesn't look like the kinda guy to do any drugs. He's good-hearted and honest- VERY few rock stars are like that.
• Jonathan from Johnstown, PaListen to the beginning, people: "...Imagination sets in...". He's doning this in his mind, without drugs!
  
• Ashley from Moncton, CanadaSounds like what goes on in my dreams- completely and utterly random yet connected somehow. This song makes me happy but sad at the same time. It reminds me of some of the better times with my father.
• Jason from New York, NyRemember the delirious moment in "The Big Lebowski" when The Dude wrecks his car while listening to this song on the car radio and toking happily away? Even if this song isn't about drugs... it's about drugs.
• Shana from Detroit Rock City, CanadaSweet song, C.C.R is mint
• Howard from St. Louis Park, MnThis was probably the only rock and roll hit that has a reference to Buck Owens. The song even has a country-like tempo.
• Jolene from Melbourne, AustraliaJohn explained at his concert in Melbourne two days ago that the lyrics were inspired by a children's book he had read, where a kid is sitting on a porch and watching a parade of amazing things, again no drug influence what so ever!

More Songfacts:

Midnight RiderThe Allman Brothers Band

A roadie for the Allman Brothers came up with the line "The road goes on forever" for "Midnight Rider," and got a songwriting credit for his contribution.

Invisible TouchGenesis

The Genesis song "Invisible Touch" was inspired by the Prince-written Sheila E. track "The Glamorous Life."

Jack & DianeJohn Mellencamp

Jack & Diane started off as an interracial couple; Mellencamp took race references out of the song at the request of his record company.

ChangesDavid Bowie

The movie The Breakfast Club opens with a passage from David Bowie's "Changes" ("And these children that you spit on...")

DynamiteTaio Cruz

Taio Cruz throws his hands up "sometimes" in "Dynamite" because the song was originally written about surrender.

Giving You The Best That I GotAnita Baker

Before the game when he hit a famous shot to win a playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Michael Jordan was listening to Anita Baker's "Giving You The Best That I Got."

Editor's Picks

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)Songwriter Interviews

The Brazilian rocker sees pictures in his riffs. When he came up with one of his gnarliest songs, there was a riot going on.

History Of RockSong Writing

An interview with Dr. John Covach, music professor at the University of Rochester whose free online courses have become wildly popular.

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

Michael W. SmithSongwriter Interviews

Smith breaks down some of his worship tracks as well as his mainstream hits, including "I Will Be Here For You" and "A Place In This World."

British InvasionFact or Fiction

Go beyond The Beatles to see what you know about the British Invasion.

Jethro TullFact or Fiction

Stage urinals, flute devices, and the real Aqualung in this Fact or Fiction.