Some folks inherit star spangled eyes/
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord.

“Fortunate Son” is a great Creedence Clearwater Revival protest song about the patriotism that was fueling the Vietnam War. Fogerty says that it is the millionaires and their greed that drive the wars. Their money allows them to keep a distance from the terrors of war so that it remains easy to send the poor folk to endless wars thousands of miles away. Their money protects their sons from going.

Interestingly, Fogerty complains about the rich people’s tax avoidance. Back then the rates for the rich for much higher for the rich and it was still an “outrage”. Somehow, since this song was released, wealth inequality has grown several times worse. Ultimately, he thinks that the solution to all this is to send the senators sons to fight in the war. It is a good solution. Something tells me we’d have a lot more peace if that was what was law.

“Fortunate Son” is more successful as a protest song than some of Dylan’s anti-war songs because it is much more accessible. It rocks, it has a good beat, good lyric and is much more literal than Dylan’s Masters of War. Ultimately it just sounds better. That is the ultimate gate that keeps a song from being relevant or not.  This ended up being one of CCRs most lastingly influential song.

Fortunate Son Lyrics

Some folks are born made to wave the flag
Ooh, they’re red, white and blue
And when the band plays “Hail to the chief”
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no senator’s son, son
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate one, no

Some folks are born silver spoon in hand
Lord, don’t they help themselves, oh
But when the taxman comes to the door
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes

It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no millionaire’s son, no
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate one, no

Some folks inherit star spangled eyes
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord
And when you ask them, “How much should we give?”
Ooh, they only answer “More! More! More!” yoh

It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no military son, son
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate one, one

It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate one, no no no
It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate son, no no no

Songwriters: John C Fogerty