COVER
ON
SONGWRITING
STORY
JOHN
FOGERTY
ON SONGWRITING
by Mike Mettler
“That’s the hardest
thing in the world – to
keep going and play
like you’re eight even
though you’re 35.”
No chops, no glory. It’s one thing to create killer
riffs and pull off flashy guitar solos. But it’s quite
another to be able to integrate them into great
songs that stand the test of time. Case in point:
the collected works of John Fogerty, the guitarist,
vocalist, and chief songwriter of Creedence
Clearwater Revival – arguably the biggest band in
America at the end of the 60s and early 70s. Not
only could Fogerty jam with the best of them, but
he also knew how to pour his guitar prowess into
the framework of many a memorable song. And he
continues perfecting his craft today as a revered
solo artist.
One of the keys to Fogerty’s songwriting success
is his ability to walk the fine line between being
both topical and timeless – a skill he perfected
on “Fortunate Son” (from one of CCR’s two 1969
albums, Willy and the Poor Boys). Fogerty recalls
that the impetus for “Fortunate Son” stemmed
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