Down on the Corner
{{Short description|1969 song by Creedence Clearwater Revival}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Down on the Corner
| cover = Down on the Corner label.jpeg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Creedence Clearwater Revival
| album = Willy and the Poor Boys
| A-side = Fortunate Son
| released = October 1969
| recorded = 1969
| studio =
| genre =
- Rock and roll{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/down-on-the-corner-mt0012089759|title = Down on the Corner - Creedence Clearwater Revival|website = AllMusic}}
- roots rock{{Cite podcast|url=https://slate.com/culture/2019/02/how-ccr-set-a-dubious-chart-record-with-five-no-2-songs-all-rock-classics.html|title= The Bad Moon on the Rise Edition|website=Hit Parade {{!}} Music History and Music Trivia|publisher=Slate|last=Molanphy|first=Chris|date=February 28, 2019|access-date=August 20, 2023}}
- swamp rock{{cite web|url=https://people.com/music/john-fogerty-talks-new-creedence-clearwater-revival-documentary/|title=John Fogerty Talks New Creedence Clearwater Revival Documentary and Making Peace with His Past|author=DeSantis, Rachel|publisher=People|date=September 1, 2022|accessdate=April 10, 2024}}
| length = 2:47
| label = Fantasy
| writer = John Fogerty
| producer = John Fogerty
| prev_title = Green River
| prev_year = 1969
| next_title = Fortunate Son
| next_year = 1969
}}
"Down on the Corner" is a song by the American band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It appeared on their fourth studio album, Willy and the Poor Boys (1969). The song peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 20 December 1969. The flip side, "Fortunate Son", reached No. 14 on the United States charts on 22 November 1969, the week before Billboard changed its methodology on double-sided hits.{{cite book
| first= Joel
| last= Whitburn
| year= 1990
| title= The Billboard Hot 100 Charts: The Sixties (25 October 1969 through 27 December 1969)
| publisher= Record Research, Inc.
| location= Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
| isbn= 0-89820-074-1}}
In Canada, the single reached No. 4 in December 1969,{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.6035.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - December 20, 1969|website=Collectioncanada.gc.ca}} and No. 5 in New Zealand.{{Cite web|url=http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20listener&qartistid=742#n_view_location|title=Flavour of New Zealand, 6 March 1970|website=Flavourofnz.co.nz|access-date=19 June 2023|archive-date=27 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027121130/http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20listener&qartistid=742#n_view_location|url-status=dead}} The song performed better in much of Continental Europe, where it made number 2 in Germany, number 9 in Austria, number 8 in the Netherlands, number 17 in Flemish-speaking Belgium and number 6 in French-speaking Belgium{{Cite web|url=https://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Creedence+Clearwater+Revival&titel=Down+On+The+Corner&cat=s|title=Creedence Clearwater Revival - Down On The Corner|website=Swedishcharts.com|access-date=19 June 2023}} than in the United Kingdom, where it stalled at number 31.{{Cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/down+on+the+corner/|title=down on the corner | full Official Chart History|website=Officialcharts.com|access-date=19 June 2023}}
Composition and lyrics
The song depicts the fictional band Willy and the Poor Boys, and how they play on street corners to cheer people up and ask for nickels.
Songwriter John Fogerty explained how the lyrics were derived:{{Cite web |date=2020-04-15 |title=Watch John Fogerty and Family Perform CCR Favorites |url=https://bestclassicbands.com/john-fogerty-family-down-on-the-corner-cosmos-factory-lodi-4-15-20/ |access-date=2020-04-15 |website=Best Classic Bands |language=en-GB}}
{{Quote|text=[I] was kind of inspired by seeing an advertisement in the paper one day. It was an ad from Disney that said in great big letters 'Winnie the Pooh'. Something in my brain said 'Winnie the Pooh and the Pooh Boys'. Obviously, that was close to 'Willy and the Poor Boys'. As I began to develop this idea it turned into music in that weird mystical, almost uncontrollable way, music comes to songwriters. Winnie the Pooh is still my favorite character who I've shared with my daughter Kelsy since the day she was born, though she's growing out of it. But I'm not.}}
The song makes reference to a harmonica, washboard, a kazoo, a Kalamazoo guitar, and a gut bass.{{cite web | title=Creedence Clearwater Revival – Down on the Corner | url=https://genius.com/Creedence-clearwater-revival-down-on-the-corner-lyrics |access-date=2022-04-12}} In a 1969 appearance on The Music Scene,{{cite web | title=Music Scene - Season 1 - IMDb | website=IMDb | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063932/episodes?ref_=tt_eps_sm | date=December 1, 1969 | access-date=2022-05-04}} the band performed the song dressed up as "Willy and the Poor Boys".{{cite web | title=1969 TV performance | website=YouTube | date=29 August 2009 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XIBrO1xATk|access-date=2022-05-04}} Stu Cook played a gut bass, Doug Clifford the washboard, and Tom Fogerty the Kalamazoo, which mimicked the appearance of the band as they appear on the album cover.
Billboard described the single as having "an infectious calypso beat".{{cite news|newspaper=Billboard|access-date=2021-02-20|date=October 18, 1969|page=86|title=Spotlight Singles|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1969/BB-1969-10-18.pdf}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Down on the Corner"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|artist=Creedence Clearwater Revival|title=Down on the Corner|award=Platinum|number=2|type=single|certyear=2024|source=radioscope|access-date=January 1, 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|artist=Creedence Clearwater Revival|title=Down on the Corner|award=Gold|type=single|certyear=2024|id=creedence-clearwater-revival-down-on-the-corner|access-date=January 1, 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Creedence Clearwater Revival|title=Down on the Corner|award=Silver|type=single|relyear=2006|certyear=2025|id=20885-1136-1|access-date=March 23, 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Creedence Clearwater Revival|title=Down on the Corner|award=Platinum|number=2|type=single|certyear=2019|access-date=February 8, 2019}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true|noshipments=true}}
Jerry Reed version
{{Infobox song
| name = Down on the Corner
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Jerry Reed
| album = The Bird
| released = October 4, 1982
| recorded = 1982
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Country
| length = 2:47
| label = RCA
| prev_title = "The Bird"
| prev_year = 1982
| next_title = Good Ole Boys
| next_year = 1983
}}
The song was covered by Jerry Reed for his 1982 album The Bird. The cover reached No. 13 on the US Country chart and No. 11 on the Canadian Country charts.{{Cn|date=February 2025}}
{{Clear}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Creedence}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Creedence Clearwater Revival songs
Category:Songs written by John Fogerty
Category:Song recordings produced by John Fogerty