About the song
“Fortunate Son” is a powerful and iconic song by the American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival. Released in October 1969 as part of their album *Willy and the Poor Boys*, it was also issued as a single alongside “Down on the Corner” in September of the same year. The song quickly became an anthem for the anti-war movement during the Vietnam War era and is widely recognized for its critique of the social and economic inequalities surrounding the draft.
John Fogerty, the band’s lead singer and songwriter, crafted “Fortunate Son” as a reflection on the class disparities that were particularly stark during the Vietnam War. While the song doesn’t explicitly address the war itself, it speaks to the broader theme of class privilege, focusing on how wealthy individuals could avoid military service, leaving the burden to those less fortunate. Fogerty once mentioned that the song was born out of his own frustrations with the draft system and his observations of how the rich could escape the burdens placed on ordinary citizens. The song’s refrain, “It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no fortunate son,” became a rallying cry for those who felt the weight of inequality.
The song made a significant impact on American culture and music. It peaked at number 14 on the U.S. charts in late 1969, and its popularity only grew, reaching number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 by December of the same year. “Fortunate Son” earned a Gold Disc award from the RIAA in December 1970 and has been highly acclaimed by critics and music historians. It was listed as number 17 in Pitchfork Media’s “The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s” and was included in Rolling Stone’s list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”
In addition to its chart success, the song was added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2013, highlighting its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance. Despite being inspired by broader themes rather than a single event, “Fortunate Son” remains a powerful critique of social privilege and inequality, capturing the spirit of a generation’s discontent with the status quo.
Video
Lyrics
Some folks are born made to wave the flag
Hoo, 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 furtunate one, no
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand
Lord, don’t they help themselves, Lord?
But when the taxman come to the door
Lord, the house lookin’ like a rummage sale, yeah
It ain’t me, it ain’t me
I ain’t no millionaire’s son, no, no
It ain’t me, it ain’t me
I ain’t no fortunate one, no
Yeah-yeah, some folks inherit star-spangled eyes
Hoo, they send you down to war, Lord
And when you ask ’em, “How much should we give?”
Hoo, they only answer, “More, more, more, more”
It ain’t me, it ain’t me
I ain’t no military son, son, Lord
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
It ain’t me, it ain’t me…