Fortunate Son By John Fogerty From Creedence Clearwater Revival

523 Words3 Pages
Throughout history, musicians have used their music to convey certain messages and emotions as well as to express their opinions on a particular topic. Thus, musicians tend to be quite diligent and selective when crafting their song lyrics in order to ensure that they express their intended ideas. For instance, John Fogerty from Creedence Clearwater Revival uses a simple structure to evoke strong feelings through imagery in the song “Fortunate Son.” "Fortunate Son" was a protest song against the Vietnam War that served as a patriotic anthem for all who realized that the United States should not have gotten entangled in the Vietnam War. It is a strong, fervent statement against the Vietnam War and the political establishment in America during the 1960s.…show more content…
The entire song is rooted in the idea that there is a sharp division in America between the fortunate sons and the unfortunate sons. For the fortunate sons, who are protected by class privilege, life is good. Because the discriminatory military draft system favored the wealthy and well educated, the “fortunate sons” typically did not have to serve in Vietnam and saw the war as merely something they hear about on the news. However, the unfortunate sons of America are more likely to be sent off to Vietnam to fight in a seemingly pointless war against an obstinate enemy because they have no inherited wealth or privilege to protect them. Fogerty's lyrics argue that it is the fathers of the fortunate sons who are responsible for getting America involved in Vietnam, but it is the sons of the powerless who have to
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