Fortunate Son

The song, released during the peak period of the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, is not explicit in its criticism of that war in particular, rather, it "speaks more to the unfairness of class than war itself," and the children of the wealthy being able to avoid the draft, according to its writer, John Fogerty. "It's the old saying about rich men making war and poor men having to fight them."{{cite web |url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1916 |title=Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival |website=Songfacts.com |access-date=June 12, 2010}} In 2015, while on the television show The Voice, he also said:

{{blockquote|The thoughts behind this song—it was a lot of anger. So it was the Vietnam War going on. ... Now I was drafted and they're making me fight, and no one has actually defined why. So this was all boiling inside of me and I sat down on the edge of my bed and out came "It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son!" You know, it took about 20 minutes to write the song.The Voice (US), Season 9 Episode 7. Originally aired October 12, 2015.}}

According to his 2015 memoir, Fogerty was thinking about David Eisenhower, the grandson of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who married Julie Nixon after he escorted her at the International Debutante Ball, the daughter of then-President-elect Richard Nixon in 1968, when he wrote "Fortunate Son". Eisenhower spent three years in the military, most of it as an officer aboard the USS Albany in the Mediterranean Sea.{{cite web |title=Is Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Fortunate Son' About Al Gore? |url=http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/fortunate.asp |department=Urban Legends Reference Pages |website=Snopes.com |date=August 15, 2006 |access-date=August 25, 2006}}

{{blockquote|"Fortunate Son" wasn't really inspired by any one event. Julie Nixon was dating David Eisenhower. You'd hear about the son of this senator or that congressman who was given a deferment from the military or a choice position in the military. They seemed privileged and whether they liked it or not, these people were symbolic in the sense that they weren't being touched by what their parents were doing. They weren't being affected like the rest of us.{{cite book |title=Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music |first=John |last=Fogerty |others=With Jimmy McDonough |publisher=Little, Brown |date=2015 |isbn=978-0316244565 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PwZ4BgAAQBAJ&q=David+Eisenhower+fortunate+son&pg=PT154 |page=190}}}}

Billboard said it has "the feel and flavor of [the group's] recent winner ['Green River']."{{cite news|newspaper=Billboard|accessdate=2023-05-04|date=October 18, 1969|page=86|title=Spotlight Singles|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1969/BB-1969-10-18.pdf}} Upon the single release, Record World felt that it could be CCR's biggest hit to date.{{cite magazine|title=Single Picks of the Week|magazine=Record World|date=October 25, 1969|page=1|accessdate=2023-05-04|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/60s/69/Record-World-1969-10-25.pdf}}

Ultimate Classic Rock critic Bryan Wawzenek rated the lyrics of "Fortunate Son" as Fogerty's greatest, saying "It’s not just Fogerty’s emotion, but the words that make this song great. 'Star-spangled eyes' is one of the best descriptive phrases in all of rock and roll, a uniquely American twist on rose-colored glasses."{{cite web|title=Top 10 John Fogerty Lyrics|author=Wawzenek|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/john-fogerty-lyrics/|date=May 28, 2013|accessdate=2022-06-10}}

The song has been widely used to protest against military actions as well as elitism in a broader sense in Western society, particularly in the United States; as an added consequence of its popularity, it has even been used in completely unrelated situations, such as to advertise blue jeans. It was played at a campaign rally for Donald Trump. Fogerty found this to be confounding.{{Cite magazine |title=John Fogerty: It's 'Confounding' That Trump Played 'Fortunate Son' at Rally |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/john-fogerty-donald-trump-fortunate-son-1058488/ |date=September 11, 2020 |last=Blistein |first=Jon |access-date=2020-09-12 |magazine=Rolling Stone}} Fogerty later issued a cease and desist order, noting that Trump obtained a draft deferment.{{Cite tweet |user=John_Fogerty |number=1317148924176596992 |title=John Fogerty on X: "https://t.co_XFCwiOadr2" |date= October 17, 2020}}

Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl, and Zac Brown attracted criticism when they performed the song together at the November 2014 Concert for Valor in Washington D.C. Fogerty, a military veteran, defended their song choice.{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-john-fogerty-fortunate-son-bruce-springsteen-concert-for-valor-20141112-story.html | title=John Fogerty defends 'Fortunate Son' song choice at Concert for Valor | work=Los Angeles Times | date=November 12, 2014 | access-date=November 14, 2014 | author=Lewis, Randy}}

The song has since been recorded or performed by many artists. It was initially embraced in the punk and hardcore community with versions by The Circle Jerks, Minutemen, DOA and Decry. Fogerty recorded a version of the song with Foo Fighters for his 2013 album Wrote a Song for Everyone.{{cite journal|last=Greene|first=Andy|title=Fogerty and Friends Go Back to the Bayou|journal=Rolling Stone|date=June 6, 2013|issue=1184|page=23}}

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band recorded the song for their 1986 album Like a Rock.{{Cite web |date=2019-12-05 |title=Fortunate Son |url=https://www.bobseger.com/videos/fortunate-son |access-date=2022-08-04 |website=Bob Seger |language=en}}

U2 covered the song, and was released as a B-side to the single Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses{{cite web | url=https://www.u2songs.com/songs/fortunate_son_-_studio_240 | title=U2songs | Fortunate Son (Studio Version) - U2 (02:40) | }}

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{{More citations needed section|date=December 2016}}

{{in popular culture|date=May 2020}}

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The song is quoted several times in the 2006 thriller novel by American writer Don Winslow, The Winter of Frankie Machine in which one of the characters is a "senator's son" referred to as the "Fortunate Son".

The song is used in the introduction sequence of the game Battlefield Vietnam, where it is among a list of in-game playable tracks. The song was also used during the E3 announcement trailer for Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam[http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-2010-battlefield-bad/101340 Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam debut trailer] and is also the main menu song for the game and plays mid-game in vehicle radios.

"Fortunate Son" was also included in the game Call of Duty: Black Ops at the start and ending of the level "S.O.G". Its use is an anachronism, as the level takes place during the Battle of Khe Sanh, a year before the song was released.

In Homefront, the song is played during the chapter "Golden Gate".

A cover of the song was released as DLC for Rock Band in 2007. The first appearance of the song came out before real instruments were integrated. The original version was made available to download on March 1, 2011, for use in Rock Band 3 PRO mode which takes advantage of the use of a real guitar / bass guitar, along with standard MIDI-compatible electronic drum kits in addition to vocals.{{cite web | url = http://www.thegamingvault.com/2011/02/eleven-legacy-rock-band-tracks-getting-pro-upgrades-on-mach-1st/ | title = Eleven Legacy Rock Band Tracks Getting PRO Upgrades March 1st | first = Kyle | last = Gaddo | date = February 25, 2011 | access-date = November 9, 2012 | publisher = DualShockers | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130525005535/http://www.thegamingvault.com/2011/02/eleven-legacy-rock-band-tracks-getting-pro-upgrades-on-mach-1st/ | archive-date = May 25, 2013 | df = mdy-all }}{{cite web | url = http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2010-06-10-rockband10_VA_N.htm | title = Rock Band 3: What's New, What's Notable | first = Mike | last = Snider | date = June 10, 2010 | access-date = November 8, 2012 | work = USA Today}} The master recording by CCR was made available as well in 2010. The song is also playable on basic controllers in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.

The song is also played in 2016's Mafia 3 but its use is an anachronism along with "Bad Moon Rising" as both songs were released in 1969 whereas Mafia 3 takes place in 1968.

The song is briefly played as both its original recording and a solo a cappella rendition, sung by Jessy Carolina, in BioShock Infinite.{{cite web|url=https://gamerhorizon.com/2013/05/14/jessy-carolina-and-bioshock-infinite/|title=Jessy Carolina and BioShock Infinite|date=May 14, 2013|publisher=Gamer Horizon}}{{cite web|last=Pinchefsky|first=Carol|title=Irrational Games Makes Serious Misstep with 'BioShock: Infinite' Soundtrack Offering|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolpinchefsky/2013/04/05/irrational-games-makes-serious-misstep-with-bioshock-infinite-soundtrack-offering/|work= Forbes |access-date=January 16, 2014 | archive-date = February 22, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140222024355/http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolpinchefsky/2013/04/05/irrational-games-makes-serious-misstep-with-bioshock-infinite-soundtrack-offering/ | url-status = live }}

In 2014, the song was included in the enhanced re-release of Grand Theft Auto V for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC, as part of the playlist of the fictional in-game radio station Los Santos Rock Radio.

The song was used while destroying rigged voting machines in the Watch Dogs 2 mission, "Power To The Sheeple" .

The song's title is referenced in Team Fortress 2 as a cosmetic helmet called the "Fortunate Son", which can be equipped by the Scout class.{{cite web|title=Fortunate Son - Team Fortress 2 Wikipedia|url=https://wiki.teamfortress.com/wiki/Fortunate_Son|work=Official Team Fortress Wiki|access-date=March 9, 2022}}

In 1987, the song was briefly used in the animated film Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night.

In the 1994 film Forrest Gump, "Fortunate Son" is played in the scene in which Forrest and Bubba arrive in a combat zone in South Vietnam aboard a U.S. Army helicopter.{{cite web |last1=Schonfeld |first1=Zach |title=How Creedence Clearwater Revival Became the Soundtrack to Every Vietnam Movie |url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/how-creedence-clearwater-revival-became-the-soundtrack-to-every-vietnam-movie/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=16 June 2020 |date=20 February 2018}}

In the 2004 version of the film The Manchurian Candidate, a cover version of this song performed by Wyclef Jean is featured and is the opening track of the closing credits.{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0368008/soundtrack |title=The Manchurian Candidate (2004) - Soundtracks |website=IMDb |access-date=October 8, 2014}}

In 2007, this song was used diegetically in Live Free or Die Hard and in the end credits.

In the 2009 American Dad episode "In Country...Club", "Fortunate Son" plays during a Vietnam War reenactment battle.

in 2010, the song was sung by Jeffster on the TV show Chuck.

In 2012 the song was used for the end credits of Peter Berg's film Battleship.

In 2014, this song was heard in the Top Gear Burma Special episode.

In 2015, the song was used in the TV series The Strain specifically during the episode "The Silver Angel".

In 2016, the song was included in the soundtrack album for the film Suicide Squad.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7408822/suicide-squad-soundtrack-eminem-skrillex-lil-wayne-twenty-one-pilots |title='Suicide Squad' Soundtrack: Skrillex & Rick Ross, Panic! at the Disco Cover 'Bohemian Rhapsody' & More |magazine=Billboard |first=Gil |last=Kaufman |date=June 17, 2016 |access-date=June 22, 2016}}

In the 2016 film War Dogs, the song is used in the scene in which David, Efraim and Marlboro are saved by the U.S. military while being pursued by Iraqi gunmen.{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2005151/soundtrack |title=War Dogs (2016) - Soundtracks |website=IMDb |access-date=August 5, 2020}}

In the 2018 Family Guy episode "'Family Guy' Through the Years" (presented as a compilation of old episodes from the series' "60 year run", parodying anniversary specials), Glenn Quagmire, portrayed in a Vietnam veteran in 1973, experiences PTSD-like symptoms from the incessant use of the song and "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield as audible background music during the war.{{cite web |url=https://www.tunefind.com/show/family-guy/season-16/62718 |title=Family Guy Soundtrack Season 16E16 · 'Family Guy' Through the Years |work=Tunefind |access-date=February 22, 2021}}

In 2019, the song was used in The Grand Tour episode "Seamen" when Clarkson, Hammond and May entered Vietnam.

A cover by Cat Power was used in a 2019 episode of the Netflix series The Punisher.{{cite web | url=https://www.what-song.com/song/245190/fortunate-son | title=Fortunate Son by Cat Power Lyrics | Song Info | List of Movies and TV Shows }}

An edited version of the song was used in a Wrangler commercial because John Fogerty "long ago signed away legal control of his old recordings to Creedence's record label, Fantasy Records."{{cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Fogerty-to-Wrangler-Song-in-ad-ain-t-me-2757730.php |title=Fogerty to Wrangler: Song in ad 'ain't me' - SFGate |publisher=Articles.sfgate.com |date=November 1, 2002 |access-date=March 26, 2010 | first=Bob | last=Baker}}{{cite news |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/219869391.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+23%2C+2002&author=Bob+Baker&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=E.2&desc=Their+%27Son%27+was+Fogerty%27s+baby%3B+The+last+thing+the+singer+wants+is+a+Creedence+corporate+revival%2C+but+he+doesn%27t+own+the+rights%2C+so+%27Fortunate+Son%27+now+sells+jeans |title=Their 'Son' was Fogerty's baby; The last thing the singer wants is a Creedence corporate revival, but he doesn't own the rights, so 'Fortunate Son' now sells jeans |publisher=Pqasb.pqarchiver.com |date=October 23, 2002 |access-date=March 29, 2010 |first=Bob |last=Baker |archive-date=November 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105062309/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/219869391.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+23%2C+2002&author=Bob+Baker&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=E.2&desc=Their+%27Son%27+was+Fogerty%27s+baby%3B+The+last+thing+the+singer+wants+is+a+Creedence+corporate+revival%2C+but+he+doesn%27t+own+the+rights%2C+so+%27Fortunate+Son%27+now+sells+jeans |url-status=dead }} In this case, the advertiser eventually stopped using the song, as Fogerty related in a later interview:

{{Blockquote|Yes, the people that owned Fantasy Records also owned all my early songs, and they would do all kinds of stuff I really hated in a commercial way with my songs. ... Then one day somebody from the L.A. Times actually bothered to call me up and ask me how I felt, and I finally had a chance to talk about it. And I said I'm very much against my song being used to sell pants. ... So my position got stated very well in the newspaper, and lo and behold, Wrangler to their credit said, "Wow, even though we made our agreement with the publisher, the owner of the song, we can see now that John Fogerty really hates the idea", so they stopped doing it.{{cite web|url=http://www.spinner.com/2007/10/05/john-fogerty-experiences-a-musical-and-personal-revival/ |title=John Fogerty Experiences a Musical and Personal 'Revival' |publisher=Spinner |date=October 5, 2007 |access-date=March 26, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512091925/http://www.spinner.com/2007/10/05/john-fogerty-experiences-a-musical-and-personal-revival/ |archive-date=May 12, 2008 |df=mdy }}}}

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{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|title=Fortunate Son|artist=Creedence Clearwater Revival|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=1969|certyear=2024|access-date=July 3, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Denmark|title=Fortunate Son|artist=Creedence Clearwater Revival|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=1969|certyear=2023|id=12090|access-date=February 8, 2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|title=Fortunate Son|artist=Creedence Clearwater Revival|type=single|award=Gold|relyear=1969|certyear=2023|access-date=March 31, 2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|title=Fortunate Son|artist=Creedence Clearwater Revival|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=1969|certyear=2021|access-date=15 November 2021|id=9329}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|artist=Creedence Clearwater Revival|title=Fortunate Son|award=Platinum|number=5|type=single|relyear=1969|source=radioscope|access-date=April 11, 2025|certyear=2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|title=Fortunate Son|artist=Creedence Clearwater Revival|type=single|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1969|certyear=2024|access-date=September 9, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Creedence Clearwater Revival|title=Fortunate Son|relyear=2005|certyear=2021|award=Platinum|number=2|id=14215-1136-1|access-date=May 17, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Creedence Clearwater Revival|title=Fortunate Son|award=Platinum|number=3|type=single|relyear=1969|certyear=2020|access-date=December 9, 2020}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Fils de personne

| cover =

| alt =

| caption =

| type = single

| language = French

| English_title = Son of no one

| artist = Johnny Hallyday

| album = Flagrant Délit

| B-side = Il faut boire à la source

| released = September 22, 1971

| format =

| recorded = 1970

| studio = Olympic Studios, London

| venue =

| genre = Rock

| length = 2:48

| label = Philips

| writer = John Fogerty, Philippe Labro

| producer = Lee Hallyday

| prev_title = Oh! Ma jolie Sarah

| prev_year = 1971

| next_title = Comme si je devais mourir demain

| next_year = 1972

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|3GW1sQyF4aM|"Fils de personne" (French TV, 1971)}}}}

}}

In September 1971, a French adaptation (titled "Fils de personne", meaning "Son of nobody" (i.e. nobody in particular)) was released by French rock singer Johnny Hallyday. "Fils de personne" was released as the second and final single off of Hallyday's 1971 studio album "Flagrant Délit" ("In the act"), released three months prior. The song peaked at number 4 in the French charts. The single was backed by "Il faut boire à la source" ("You have to drink from the source").

Fils de personne: harsh, vengeful rock, with lyrics by Philippe Labro, invectives the “sons of someone” of whom Johnny Hallyday stands out in each chorus, vociferating that he was not born of a “military” father, billionaire, civil servant”, implying that he owes his success to no one. French journalist Jean-William Thoury underlines that the adaptation of the song by the group Creedence Clearwater Revival does not betray the original idea “which seems to suit Johnny so well, a real “son of no one”.{{Cite book |last=Thoury |first=Jean-William |title=Johnny en chanson, dictionnaire des chansons de Johnny Hallyday |publisher=Éditions Semic Music |year=2002 |location=France |pages=115 (translated) |language=French |trans-title=Johnny in song, dictionary of Johnny Hallyday songs}}

{{Blockquote|Y'en a qui naissent avec dans leur berceau

Les milliards de leur père
On leur apprend que tout peut s'acheter
Les affaires, oui, sont les affaires
Mais pas moi

Non, pas moi
Je ne suis pas né milliardaire
Mais pas moi
Non, pas moi
Je suis le fils de personne}}

{{Blockquote|Some people are born with it in their cradle
Their father's billions
They are taught that everything can be bought
Business, yes, is business
But not me No, not me
I wasn't born a billionaire
But not me
No, not me
I'm nobody's son|author=French adaptation by Philippe Labro (translated)}}

The title integrated the singer's repertoire from its creation{{Cite web |title=Tenues de scène de Johnny Hallyday — Setlists : tournée 71 |url=http://www.tenues-johnny.fr/set_71/setlists-tournee-71.html |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=www.tenues-johnny.fr}} and from the show at the Palais des sports de Paris in the fall of 1971, was systematically played after I was born in the street (which opened the singing tour{{Cite web |title=Johnny Hallyday Le Web - Site sur Johnny Hallyday - Le site d'information sur Johnny Hallyday - concerts 1971 |url=https://www.hallyday.com/Son/Concert/concer71.html |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=www.hallyday.com}}). Depending on the tours, the sequence was maintained until the summer of 1974,{{Cite web |title=Tenues de scène de Johnny Hallyday — Setlists : tournées 74 & 75 |url=http://www.tenues-johnny.fr/set_74/setlists-tournees-74-75.html |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=www.tenues-johnny.fr}} the singer deviating from this ritual only with rare exceptions.{{Cite web |title=Tenues de scène de Johnny Hallyday — Setlists : tournée 73 |url=http://www.tenues-johnny.fr/set_73/setlists-tournee-73.html |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=www.tenues-johnny.fr}}

Source:{{Cite web |title=Johnny Hallyday Le Web - Site sur Johnny Hallyday - Le site d'information sur Johnny Hallyday - Sessionographie |url=https://www.hallyday.com/Son/Sessions/ses71.html |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=www.hallyday.com}}

• Hugh McCracken, Mick Jones, Jerry Donahue, guitars
• Pat Donaldson, bass
• Tommy Brown, drums
• Gary Wright, piano, organ
• Bobby Keys, tenor saxophone
• Jim Price, trumpet
• Madeline Bell, Nanette Workman, Doris Troy, Liza Strike, backing vocals
• Chris Kimsey, Sound engineer

• List of anti-war songs
• List of songs about the Cold War

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090304221457/http://mixonline.com/recording/tracking/classic-tracks-creedence-clearwater-revival-fortunate/ Classic Tracks: Creedence Clearwater Revival "Fortunate Son"]
• [https://www.loc.gov/programs/static/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/Fortunate%20Son.pdf Library of Congress essay] on the song's addition to the National Recording Registry.

{{Creedence}}

{{Bob Seger}}

{{authority control}}

Category:1969 singles

Category:1969 songs

Category:Anti-Vietnam War songs

Category:Cat Power songs

Category:Creedence Clearwater Revival songs

Category:Death Cab for Cutie songs

Category:Dropkick Murphys songs

Category:Fantasy Records singles

Category:American hard rock songs

Category:Song recordings produced by John Fogerty

Category:Songs about soldiers

Category:Songs about luck

Category:Songs about the military

Category:Songs written by John Fogerty

Category:United States National Recording Registry recordings

Category:Sports anthems

Category:Anti-war songs

Category:Presidential campaign songs