Born On The Bayou
John Fogerty Lyrics


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Now, when I just was a little boy,
Standin' to my Daddy's knee,
My poppa said "Son, don't let the man get you
And do what he done to me."

I can remember the fourth of July,
Runnin' through the backwood bare.
And I can still hear my old hound dog barkin',
Chasin' down a hoodoo there,
Chasin' down a hoodoo there.

Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou

Wish I was back on the Bayou,
Rollin' with some Cajun Queen.
Wishin' I where a fast freight train,
Just a chooglin' on down to New Orleans.
Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou

I can remember the fourth of July,
Runnin' through the back wood bare.
And I can still hear my old hound dog barkin',
Chasin' down a hoodoo there,
Chasin' down a hoodoo there.

Born on the Bayou




Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou

Overall Meaning

John Fogerty's "Born on the Bayou" is a poignant reflection on the singer's upbringing and the influence of his surroundings on his life. In the first stanza, Fogerty recalls his father's advice to not let the world bring him down or make him suffer like his father did. This displays a sense of rebellion and determination as he strives to break free from the cycle of hardship that his family has endured.


The second stanza takes us back to Fogerty's childhood, where he remembers himself running around barefoot in the woods, listening to the sounds of his hound dog barking and chasing down a hoodoo. These experiences tie him to his roots and give him a sense of place, something that he longs for in the later verses. Fogerty speaks of wishing he was back on the Bayou, rolling with some Cajun Queen, and even imagines himself as a fast freight train, "just a chooglin' on down to New Orleans." This vivid imagery transports us to the South, where Fogerty grew up, and reminds us of the vibrant culture and traditions that still exist there today.


One interesting fact about this song is that it was inspired by the Mississippi River, not the Bayou. In an interview, Fogerty said that the song was actually called "Proud Mary," but it ended up being changed to "Born on the Bayou" because it fit the theme and style of the album. Another interesting tidbit is that the song was included in the soundtrack of the 1987 movie "The Big Easy," a film that celebrates the music and culture of New Orleans.


Line by Line Meaning

Now, when I just was a little boy,
When I was a child,


Standin' to my Daddy's knee,
I was standing next to my father,


My poppa said "Son, don't let the man get you
My dad told me not to let the system take advantage of me


And do what he done to me."
And do to me what they did to him


I can remember the fourth of July,
I remember Independence Day


Runnin' through the backwood bare.
Running through the countryside barefoot


And I can still hear my old hound dog barkin',
I can still hear my loyal dog barking at something


Chasin' down a hoodoo there,
Chasing after a magical creature or spirit


Chasin' down a hoodoo there.
Chasing after a magical creature or spirit again


Born on the Bayou
I was born and raised on the Bayou


Born on the Bayou
I was born and raised on the Bayou


Born on the Bayou
I was born and raised on the Bayou


Wish I was back on the Bayou,
I wish I was back home on the Bayou


Rollin' with some Cajun Queen.
Spending time with a Cajun woman


Wishin' I where a fast freight train,
Wishing that I were a high-speed train


Just a chooglin' on down to New Orleans.
Just moving quickly down to New Orleans


Born on the Bayou
I was born and raised on the Bayou


Born on the Bayou
I was born and raised on the Bayou


Born on the Bayou
I was born and raised on the Bayou


I can remember the fourth of July,
I remember Independence Day


Runnin' through the back wood bare.
Running through the countryside barefoot


And I can still hear my old hound dog barkin',
I can still hear my loyal dog barking at something


Chasin' down a hoodoo there,
Chasing after a magical creature or spirit


Chasin' down a hoodoo there.
Chasing after a magical creature or spirit again




Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John C. Fogerty

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

JMH

Kenny has performed or recorded with include…
Elton John

Mick Jagger

Daryl Hall and John Oates

Lenny Kravitz

Slash

Jerry Lee Lewis

Little Richard

Kiefer Sutherland

Billy Gibbons

Alice Cooper

Johnny Cash

Ricky Martin

Joe Satriani

Brian Wilson

Stevie Nicks

Glenn Frey

John Mellencamp

Belinda Carlisle

Corey Hart

Desmond Child

Sammy Hagar

Avril Lavigne

Lita Ford

The Jefferson Airplane

Sting

Adele

The Rolling Stones

Brad Paisley

Ray Charles

George Jones

Al Pacino

Keith Urban

Joe Walsh

Don Henley

Styx

American Idol

Brandon Flowers

Brian Wilson

Chickenfoot

Skunk Baxter

BoDeans

Gregg Allman

John Fogerty

Rod Stewart

Trace Adkins

Alana De Ray

Tab Benoit

Miranda Lambert

Paul McCartney

Ringo Starr

Lady Gaga

The Smashing Pumpkins

Travis Tritt

Celine Dion

Willie Nelson

Chris Cornell

Joe Cocker

Mac Davis

The Highwaymen

Lionel Richie

Rob Thomas

John Fogerty

Jake Owen

Rod Stewart

Stryper

Michelle Branch

Gavin DeGraw

Indigo Girls

Les Paul & Friends

Puddle of Mudd

Orianthi

The Buddy Rich Big Band

Bruce Springsteen

Alanis Morissette

Hilary Duff

Cinderella

Santana

Trey Anastasio

Tony Iommi & Glenn Hughes

Les Paul & Friends

Iggy Pop

Meat Loaf

Melissa Etheridge

Bon Jovi

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lee Ann Womack

Michelle Branch

Tony Iommi

Charlie Watts & Jim Keltner

Michael Hutchence

Bob Seger

Billy Ray Cyrus

Bobby Brown

The New York Rangers

The Jimi Hendrix Movie Soundtrack…



All comments from YouTube:

thefirstdutchguy

legendary song played by a legendary guitarist with a legendary voice !

Torpor111

The song you never want to end~~

Reiskan konevideoita

That descendin E-D-A chord progression is just so cool <3

Brian Sears

Whoever designed that stage.... A+. 🤟

Barry Babin

looks like my backyard...

Tim Jones

One of my favorite songs wish it was longer I have to listen to it over and over this song will never get old

Jen Beulke

Saw him with my big brother in Australia. He was dressed all in black just like here and the stage was set was pretty much the same. I’ll never forget that concert. All of a sudden before it started everything went black and you could hear crickets chirping and then the start of that brilliant song… I will never ever forget it

Sharon Sakcriska

John Cameron Fogerty you are still A#1 in my book. Thank you and your kids for helping us cope through the first year of the pandemic ❣️🙏🏽❣️God bless you guys!

Valerie Tomsic

SAME here....65 and LOVED him back in the day and still DO....LOVED his recordings during the pandemic .... REALLY helped me cope with working from home and all of the NASTINESS during that time!

aquaman54

Fogerty Rules!!!!! and His Drummer is Totally BADASS!!!!!

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