Lookin' out My Back Door
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Lookin' out My Back Door
| cover = Lookinoutmybackdoor45.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Creedence Clearwater Revival
| album = Cosmo's Factory
| B-side = Long As I Can See the Light
| released = {{Start date|1970|07|25}}{{cite encyclopedia |last1=Hibbert |first1=Tom |last2=Dawson |first2=Jenny |editor=Ashley Brown |encyclopedia=The Marshall Cavendish Illustrated History of Popular Music |title=Rock '70 |edition=Reference |year=1990 |publisher=Marshall Cavendish |volume=12 |location=Freeport, New York |isbn=1-85435-027-7 |pages=1342, 1343}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Country rock{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/see-wade-bowens-playful-creedence-clearwater-revival-cover-109843/|title=See Wade Bowen's Playful Creedence Clearwater Revival Cover|author=Betts, Stephen L.|date=May 25, 2017|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=March 6, 2020|quote="Wade Bowen’s web series Garage Mahal continues with the Texas musician’s informal acoustic take on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s 1970 country-rocker “Lookin’ Out My Back Door.”"}}
| length = {{Duration|m=2|s=35}}
| label = Fantasy
| writer = John Fogerty
| producer = John Fogerty
| prev_title = Up Around the Bend
| prev_year = 1970
| next_title = Have You Ever Seen the Rain?
| next_year = 1971
}}
"Lookin' out My Back Door" is a song recorded by the American band Creedence Clearwater Revival. Written by the band's lead singer, guitarist and songwriter John Fogerty, it is included on their fifth album Cosmo's Factory (1970), and became their fifth and final number-two Billboard hit, held off the top by Diana Ross's version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". It was their only Cash Box Top 100 number-one hit.
Song information
The song's lyrics, filled with colorful, dream-like imagery, lead some to believe that it is about drugs. According to the drug theory, the "flying spoon" was a reference to a cocaine or heroin spoon, and the crazy animal images were an acid trip. Fogerty, however, has stated in interviews that the song was actually written for his then three-year-old son, Josh. Fogerty has also said that the allusion to a parade passing by was inspired by the Dr. Seuss book And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.{{cite book|last=Bordowitz|first=Hank|title=Bad Moon Rising: The Unauthorized History of Creedence Clearwater Revival|year=1998|publisher=Chicago Review Press|page=98|isbn=9781569769843|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zDDKxvnPy7cC&q=lookin%27+out+my+back+door+mulberry+street&pg=PA98}}
The song begins and ends with the mention of Illinois, and locking the front door in a vain attempt to prevent his troubles there from following him home. Country singer Buck Owens is also mentioned in the song; country singer Buddy Alan, the son of Buck Owens, recorded a cover version of the song in 1971.
Reviewing the song, Cash Box stated "emphasing their early-rock gut appeal, CCR plunges into a rough-hewn bit of dance material that should sparkle."{{cite news|title=CashBox Record Reviews|date=August 1, 1970|page=34|access-date=2021-12-09|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1970/CB-1970-08-01.pdf|newspaper=Cash Box}} Record World called it a "super-smash."{{cite magazine|title=Single Picks of the Week|magazine=Record World|date=August 1, 1970|page=1|access-date=2023-04-25|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/70/RW-1970-08-01.pdf}} Billboard called it a "clever rhythm item."{{cite magazine|title=Spotlight Singles|magazine=Billboard|date=August 1, 1970|page=66|access-date=2023-04-25|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1970/Billboard%201970-08-01.pdf}}
Covers
Jody Miller covered the song on her album Look at Mine.
The song was covered by the Finnish melodic death metal band Children of Bodom on their album Blooddrunk as a bonus track on the U.K. release.
Personnel
- John Fogerty – lead vocals, lead guitar
- Tom Fogerty – rhythm guitar
- Stu Cook – bass guitar, keyboards
- Doug Clifford – drums, percussion
Chart history
{{col-begin|width=67%}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Chart (1970)
! style="text-align:center;"|Rank |
|---|
| Australia
| style="text-align:center;"|6 |
| Canada {{cite web|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.3740&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.3740.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.3740|title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada|website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca|date=July 17, 2013 }}
| style="text-align:center;"|4 |
| US Billboard Hot 100{{cite web|url=http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1970.htm|title=Top 100 Hits of 1970/Top 100 Songs of 1970|website=Musicoutfitters.com}}
| style="text-align:center;"|36 |
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Lookin' out My Back Door"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Creedence Clearwater Revival|title=Lookin' out My Back Door|award=Platinum|relyear=1969|certyear=2023|source=radioscope|access-date=April 11, 2025}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Creedence Clearwater Revival|title=Lookin' out My Back Door|award=Platinum|number=2|type=single|relyear= 1969|certyear=2025|access-date=June 24, 2025|refname="RIAA"}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://genius.com/Creedence-clearwater-revival-lookin-out-my-back-door-lyrics Lyrics of this song]
{{Creedence}}
{{Buck Owens}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Creedence Clearwater Revival songs
Category:Cashbox number-one singles
Category:Number-one singles in Australia
Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles
Category:Number-one singles in Norway
Category:Songs written by John Fogerty
Category:Song recordings produced by John Fogerty