These members played together since 1959, first as The Blue Velvets, then as The Golliwogs. Their musical style encompassed the roots rock, swamp rock, and blues rock genres. They played in a Southern rock style, despite their San Francisco Bay Area origin, with lyrics about bayous, catfish, the Mississippi River, and other popular elements of Southern United States iconography, as well as political and socially conscious lyrics about topics including the Vietnam War. The band performed at the 1969 Woodstock Festival in Upstate New York.
The group disbanded acrimoniously in late 1972 after four years of chart-topping success. Tom Fogerty had officially left the previous year, and his brother John was at odds with the remaining members over matters of business and artistic control, all of which resulted in subsequent lawsuits among the former bandmates. Fogerty's ongoing disagreements with Fantasy Records owner Saul Zaentz created further protracted court battles, and John Fogerty refused to perform with the two other surviving members at CCR's 1993 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Creedence Clearwater Revival's music is still a staple of US radio airplay; the band has sold 26 million albums in the United States alone. Rolling Stone ranked them 82nd on its Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list.
John Fogerty, Doug Clifford, and Stu Cook met at Portola Junior High School in El Cerrito, California. Calling themselves the Blue Velvets, the trio began playing instrumentals and "juke box standards", as well as backing Fogerty's older brother Tom at live gigs and in the recording studio. Tom soon joined the band, and in 1964 they signed with Fantasy Records, an independent jazz label in San Francisco that had released Cast Your Fate To The Wind, a national hit for jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi. The record's success was the subject of a National Educational Television special, which prompted budding songwriter John Fogerty to contact the label. For the band's first release, Fantasy co-owner Max Weiss renamed the group the Golliwogs (after the children's literary character, Golliwogg).
Bandmembers' roles and the instruments they played changed during this period. Stu Cook switched from piano to bass guitar and Tom Fogerty from lead vocals to rhythm guitar; John became the band's lead vocalist and primary songwriter. In Tom Fogerty's words: "I could sing, but John had a sound!".
Blues
Creedence Clearwater Revival Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Soakin' wet fever in my brain.
Now, I ain't certain which way to go,
But I got to move, sure.
[Chorus:]
Feelin' blue, blue, blue, blue, blue.
Feelin' blue, blue, blue, blue, blue.
I'm feelin' blue. I'm feelin' blue.
Hey, look over yonder behind the wall,
They're closin' in I'm about to fall.
Now I'm no coward, but I ain't no cool
Feel it in my bones, my book is due.
[Chorus]
Hey, look over yonder, up in the tree,
There's a rope hangin' just for me.
Without a warnin', without a warnin',
Things are pilin' up to break me down.
[Chorus]
Hey, look over yonder, out in the street,
People laughin' by, walkin' easy.
Now, I'm no sinner, but I ain't no saint.
If it's happy, you can say I ain't.
[Chorus]
I'm feelin' blue (x6)
The song "Feelin' Blue" by Creedence Clearwater Revival is a classic blues tune that speaks to the feeling of being down and out, unsure of where to turn or how to cope with the struggles of life. From the first verse, the singer is caught in the rain, suffering from a fever that's making it hard to think or make a decision. The chorus repeats the phrase "Feelin' blue" over and over, emphasizing the sense of sadness and despair that the singer is experiencing.
As the song continues, the lyrics describe a feeling of being trapped or cornered, as though the world is closing in around the singer. In one verse, there's mention of a book that's due, which could be a reference to a deadline or obligation that the singer feels unable to meet. Later, there's an image of a rope hanging in a tree, as though the singer is contemplating ending his or her own life. Ultimately, though, the song ends with a resigned sense of acceptance, as the singer acknowledges that he or she is no saint, but simply trying to find a way to be happy and content.
Overall, "Feelin' Blue" is a powerful song that captures the emotional pain and turmoil that many people experience at some point in their lives. Whether struggling with depression, anxiety, or any other form of mental health challenge, the song speaks to the universal struggle to find hope and meaning in difficult circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, look over yonder out in the rain,
There's something happening outside, in the pouring rain
Soakin' wet fever in my brain.
I'm heavily affected by what's happening outside
Now, I ain't certain which way to go,
I'm not sure how to proceed
But I got to move, sure.
But I know I have to take action
[Chorus:]
Repeating chorus with the theme of feeling blue
Hey, look over yonder behind the wall,
There's something happening beyond this barrier
They're closin' in I'm about to fall.
I'm feeling trapped and like I'm going to fail
Now I'm no coward, but I ain't no cool
I'm not weak, but I'm not unflappable either
Feel it in my bones, my book is due.
I feel like time is running out and I need to meet a deadline
[Chorus]
Repeating chorus with the theme of feeling blue
Hey, look over yonder, up in the tree,
Something is dangling from a tree that catches my attention
There's a rope hangin' just for me.
There's something ominous about the rope, like it's a noose just for me
Without a warnin', without a warnin',
Something bad happens suddenly and unexpectedly
Things are pilin' up to break me down.
Problems and challenges keep mounting, threatening to overwhelm me
[Chorus]
Repeating chorus with the theme of feeling blue
Hey, look over yonder, out in the street,
There are people outside who seem carefree and happy
People laughin' by, walkin' easy.
They're enjoying life and making it look effortless
Now, I'm no sinner, but I ain't no saint.
I'm not perfect, but I'm not evil either
If it's happy, you can say I ain't.
I'm not capable of enjoying life like they are
[Chorus]
Repeating chorus with the theme of feeling blue
I'm feelin' blue (x6)
Final chorus repeating the overall feeling of sadness and despair
Lyrics © THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: J. FOGERTY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Roger Knight
My 3 yr old granddaughter heard me singing this song. She asked so I YouTube it. When it started playing, she laid the phone in the middle of the floor and started dancing and singing along. Yep. Spread the CCR love!!
Herry
Good to see she's going to get a good education👌👌👌👌👌 Keep up the good work ma man👌👌👌👌👌
Vicki RI
I was doing the same thing when my big brother was playing this song in 1969 and I was two!
friki friki
Va por buen camino su nieta excelente música john fogerty ccr 🤘✌️
Robert Anderson
One of my personal favorite CCR jam's too. And I couldn't agree more. It's very underated. It deserves some air time!!!
Carol Fields
No matter what kind of crappy mood I may fall in when I hear a CCR song I'm immediately placed in a better place. I will never quit listening to CCR
ClassicRock4EVER
Couldnt agree more! There is NOT a song that I dont like by CCR. Some I like more than others but love them all! (can't honestly say that about most bands) And this song is definitely one of my favs!
Gary Lockard
You and me too sister !...
Juan34123 Peres
Carol Fields this is Real music carol.i been listening CCR.Ufff!! FOR years.in. my country.in central América they loved .bring back great memories.
Montgomery Denzer
my girl