John Fogerty began a solo career, originally under the name The Blue Ridge Rangers for his 1973 LP debut. Fogerty played all of the instruments on covers of others' country music hits, such as "Jambalaya" (which was a Top 40 hit). Prior to performing country & western tunes he released a rock & roll single in late 1973, also as The Blue Ridge Rangers. The two John Fogerty penned songs were "You Don't Owe Me" and "Back In The Hills" (Fantasy F-710).
In early 1974 John Fogerty released two rock & roll tunes on a 7"-single. The two songs were the vocal "Comin' Down The Road" b/w the instrumental "Ricochet". His second solo album John Fogerty was released in 1975. Sales were slim and legal problems delayed a followup, though it yielded "Rockin' All Over the World", a top 40 hit for Fogerty in North America.
Fogerty finished an album called Hoodoo in 1976. A single, "You Got The Magic" b/w "Evil Thing", preceded the album's release, but it performed poorly. The album, for which covers had already been printed, was rejected by Asylum Records a couple weeks before its scheduled release, and Fogerty agreed that it wasn't up to his usual high standards. Fogerty told Asylum Records to destroy the master tapes for Hoodoo sometime in the 1980s. Fogerty is something of a perfectionist, often destroying unreleased material. Fogerty says that he was unable to write music during this period of his life.
Fogerty's solo career re-emerged in full force with 1985's Centerfield, his first album for Warner Bros. Records (which took over co-ownership of Asylum's contract with Fogerty). Centerfield went to the top of the charts and included a top-ten hit in "The Old Man Down The Road"; the title track is frequently played on classic rock radio and at baseball games to this day. But that album was not without its legal snags either.
Two songs on the album, "Zanz Kant Danz" and "Mr Greed", were believed to be attacks on Fogerty's former boss at Fantasy Records, Saul Zaentz. "Zanz Kant Danz" was about a pig who can't dance but would "steal your money". When Zaentz responded with a lawsuit, Fogerty issued a revised version of "Zanz Kant Danz" (changing the lead character's name to Vanz). Another lawsuit claimed that "The Old Man Down The Road" shared the same chorus as "Run Through The Jungle" (a song from Fogerty's days with Creedence to which Fantasy Records had owned the publishing rights). Fogerty ultimately won his case when he proved that the two songs were wholly distinct compositions.
The followup album to Centerfield was Eye of the Zombie in 1986, which was less successful. Fogerty toured behind the album, but he refused to play any Creedence material. The album took on a darker mood, talking about a troubled society, terrorism, and pop stars selling out. For years, he refused to play material from the Zombie album. However, "Change In The Weather" was included in the set list for his 2009 tour. Fogerty played Creedence material again at a concert in Washington, D.C., for Vietnam veterans that took place on July 4, 1987. The show was aired on HBO. Aside from the show at the Palomino, this was the first time Fogerty had performed any Creedence Clearwater Revival songs for a large audience since 1972.
Fogerty traveled to Mississippi in 1990 for inspiration and visited the gravesite of blues legend Robert Johnson. He realized that Robert Johnson was the true spiritual owner of the songs Johnson had written. Fogerty decided to start making a new album and to perform his old Creedence material regularly in concert.[4][5] It was at this time visiting the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church cemetery that Fogerty met Skip Henderson, a New Jersey vintage guitar dealer who had formed a nonprofit corporation The Mt. Zion Memorial Fund to honor Johnson with a memorial marker. Fogerty subsequently funded headstones for Charlie Patton, James Son Thomas, Mississippi Joe Callicott, Eugene Powell, Lonnie Pitchford and helped with financial arrangements for numerous others.[6]
Creedence Clearwater Revival was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. John Fogerty refused to perform with his former band mates and fellow inductees Stu Cook and Doug Clifford during the musical portion of the induction ceremony. In place of the surviving members of CCR, Fogerty recruited LA session musicians on drums and bass and was also joined by Bruce Springsteen and Robbie Robertson in performing three songs; "Who'll Stop The Rain", "Born On The Bayou" and "Green River".
Fogerty returned to the commercial music industry in 1997 with Blue Moon Swamp. The layoff between Zombie and Swamp had been longer than his mid-'70s-mid-'80s break. The album was much more successful than his previous effort and won the Grammy for best rock album in 1997. A live album of the equally successful tour was released to similar acclaim and good sales.
It seemed as though Fogerty was back, but again he drifted out of the mainstream, only returning after another break in 2004. Deja Vu (All Over Again) was Fogerty’s next release. His new record contract was with DreamWorks Records, which had taken over distribution of Fogerty's Warner Bros. catalog. Rolling Stone wrote: "The title track is Fogerty's indictment of the Iraq war as another Vietnam, a senseless squandering of American lives and power". On the album, Fogerty squeezed 10 songs into only 34 minutes.
The sale of Fantasy Records to Concord Records in 2004 ended the 30+-year estrangement between Fogerty and his former label as the new owners took steps to restore royalty rights Fogerty gave up in order to be released from his contract with Fantasy in the mid 1970s. In September 2005, Fogerty returned to Fantasy Records. That was made possible when DreamWorks Records' non-country music unit was absorbed by Geffen Records, which dropped Fogerty but continued to distribute his earlier solo albums. The first album released under the new Fantasy contract was The Long Road Home, a compilation CD combining his Creedence hits with solo material which was issued in November 2005. A live CD and DVD concert was released the following year.
Fogerty’s touring schedule increased in the period after Deja Vu (All Over Again). In October 2004, Fogerty appeared on the Vote for Change tour, playing a series of concerts in American swing states. Centerfield was also played at the 2008 Republican National Convention when John McCain introduced Sarah Palin as his running mate. Fogerty's numbers were played with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Fogerty toured with John Mellencamp in the summer of 2005 and with Willie Nelson in the summer of 2006. On June 29, 2006 he played his first headlining British concert since 1972, at the Hammersmith Apollo theater in London, as part of the European leg of the tour. During that leg, he also performed in Sundsvall, Sweden, where 25,000 people came to see him perform at the town square. On Thanksgiving Day of 2006, Fogerty performed at halftime at the Miami Dolphins/Detroit Lions game as well as at the Denver Broncos/Kansas City Chiefs halftime later that evening.
Alongside, Bill Withers, the Sherman Brothers, Steve Cropper and Isaac Hayes and David Porter, Fogerty was named to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005.
Fogerty features on Jerry Lee Lewis's album "Last Man Standing" issued 26 September 2006, duetting on a recording of "Travellin' Band". He also participated in the live set follow-up "Last Man Standing - Live", joining Lewis for a duet of "CC Rider", "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" (also featuring Kris Kristofferson), and concluding with a performance of "Good Golly Miss Molly", with Lewis backing him on piano.
Fogerty completed his first new country and rock album in three years, Revival, which was released on October 2, 2007. Heavily promoted by the label, Revival debuted at number 14 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart with sales about 65,000 copies in its first week. Revival was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album of 2008 but lost to the Foo Fighters.
On February 10, 2008, he appeared with Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard on the Grammy Award's Show. Along with these rock icons and his regular touring band, he played his ultra-rare 1973 single "Comin' Down The Road" leading into Lewis and Richard's performances of "Great Balls Of Fire," and "Good Golly Miss Molly," respectively.
On March 16, 2008, Fogerty kicked off an Australian tour. On March 22 in Point Nepean, Australia, surprise guest Keith Urban joined Fogerty on stage, performing two songs: "Broken Down Cowboy," off Fogerty's newest album Revival, and "Cotton Fields," from CCR's album Willy & the Poor Boys.
Fogerty's current touring band includes Dave Santos on bass, Kenny Aronoff on drums, Matt Nolen on keyboards, guitar & mandolin, Hunter Perrin on guitars Billy Burnette (of Fleetwood Mac fame) on guitars, and Dan Hochhalter on fiddle, mandolin, and guitars.
On June 24, 2008, Fogerty made a return to the Royal Albert Hall, a venue he last played with CCR in 1971. It was the last concert on his 2008 European Tour. This concert was filmed (causing staging problems that annoyed some fans) and, according to his website, is to be released in early 2009.
On December 10, 2008, a Billboard article announced that besides the Royal Albert Hall DVD, Fogerty was working on recording a new album of mostly country covers. The album is a sequel to his 1973 solo debut The Blue Ridge Rangers and will be called The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again. It will be released on September 1, 2009 and will contain a duet with Bruce Springsteen on the 1960 Everly Brothers classic "When Will I Be Loved?."[15] In addition, Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmit of The Eagles sing with Fogerty on a cover of Rick Nelson's 1972 classic "Garden Party."
On April 16, 2009, Fogerty performed his hit "Centerfield," from center field, at the opening day festivities of the new Yankee Stadium.[16]
On July 2,3,and 4, 2009 John Fogerty performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. The Bowl was completely sold out. The night included a fireworks display. Although the night was billed as Fogerty with the LA Philharmonic, the LA Philharmonic began the night with music by American composers, and Fogerty and his band came on after intermission and played all of his greatest hits. Fogerty and his band only played one song with the orchestra.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sweet Hitch Hiker
John Fogerty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thinkin' I'm the devil's heatwave, what you burn in your crazy mind?
Saw a slight distraction standin' by the road;
She was smilin' there, yellow in her hair;
Do you want to, I was thinkin', would you care.
Sweet hitch-a-hiker,
We could make music at the Greasy King.
Won't you ride on my fast machine?
Cruisin' on through the junction, I'm flyin' 'bout the speed of sound,
Noticin' peculiar function, I ain't no roller coaster show me down.
I turned away to see her, woa! she caught my eye,
But I was rollin' down, movin' too fast;
Do you want to, she was thinkin' can it last.
Sweet hitch-a-hiker,
We could make music at the Greasy King.
Sweet hitch-a-hiker,
Won't you ride on my fast machine?
Was busted up along the highway, I'm the saddest ridin' fool alive.
Wond'ring if you're goin' in my way, won't you give a poor boy a ride?
Here she comes a ridin', lord, she's flyin' high.
But she was rollin' down, movin' too fast;
Do you want to, she was thinkin' can I last.
Sweet hitch-a-hiker,
We could make music at the Greasy King.
Sweet hitch-a-hiker,
Won't you ride on my fast machine?
Sweet hitch-a-hiker,
We could make music at the Greasy King.
Sweet hitch-a-hiker,
Won't you ride on my fast machine?
Sweet hitch-a-hiker,
We could make music at the Greasy King.
Sweet hitch-a-hiker,
Won't you ride on my fast machine?
The lyrics to John Fogerty's song Sweet Hitch-Hiker describe a man who is driving down a highway, contemplating his own wild thoughts when he sees a woman hitchhiking on the side of the road. He is immediately intrigued by her and wonders if she would be interested in joining him on his journey. As they drive together, he continues to be drawn to her, but ultimately fears that their connection may be fleeting as they are both moving too fast down their own paths.
Most likely inspired by the free-spirited nature of the 1960s counterculture movement, the song has been interpreted as a celebration of freedom, adventure, and the thrill of the open road. The image of a hitchhiker, someone who travels with no particular destination or plan, represents the pursuit of a life without boundaries or limitations.
The lyrics are also heavily infused with sexual undertones, referencing the idea of making music and riding on a fast machine as euphemisms for physical intimacy. The fast-paced style of the song reflects this sense of urgency and immediacy, as the singer is driven to connect with the woman regardless of the consequences.
Overall, Sweet Hitch-Hiker is a contemplation of the desire for adventure, freedom, and human connection, set against the backdrop of the open road. It captures the restless energy of a generation seeking to break free from societal norms and conventions in search of something more.
Line by Line Meaning
Was ridin' along side the highway, rollin' up the country side.
I was driving on the highway, admiring the countryside.
Thinkin' I'm the devil's heatwave, what you burn in your crazy mind?
I was wondering what people thought of me, and if they saw me as a dangerous person.
Saw a slight distraction standin' by the road;
I saw a woman standing by the side of the road.
She was smilin' there, yellow in her hair;
She had a happy expression on her face, and her hair was a bright yellow color.
Do you want to, I was thinkin', would you care.
I wondered if she would be interested in joining me on my journey.
Sweet hitch-a-hiker,
She was a lovely hitchhiker.
We could make music at the Greasy King.
We could have a good time at a certain place called the Greasy King.
Won't you ride on my fast machine?
Would you like to ride along with me in my fast car?
Cruisin' on through the junction, I'm flyin' 'bout the speed of sound,
I was driving through a junction at a very high speed.
Noticin' peculiar function, I ain't no roller coaster show me down.
I noticed something strange, but it didn't scare me like a roller coaster would.
I turned away to see her, woa! she caught my eye,
I looked away briefly, then she caught my attention completely.
But I was rollin' down, movin' too fast;
I was moving too fast to stop and talk to her properly.
Do you want to, she was thinkin' can it last.
She wondered if our interaction could become something more meaningful.
Was busted up along the highway, I'm the saddest ridin' fool alive.
Later on, I was stopped on the highway feeling down and hopeless.
Wond'ring if you're goin' in my way, won't you give a poor boy a ride?
I wondered if the hitchhiker was headed in the same direction as me, and if she would help me out by giving me a ride.
Here she comes a ridin', lord, she's flyin' high.
Eventually, I saw her again and she was driving fast.
Do you want to, she was thinkin' can I last.
She was still interested in the possibility of a deeper connection between us.
Sweet hitch-a-hiker,
She was still an enchanting hitchhiker.
We could make music at the Greasy King.
We could still have fun at the Greasy King together.
Won't you ride on my fast machine?
Would you at least take a ride with me in my fast car?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JOHN C. FOGERTY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rayking9781
"A very long life" with crap songs written and sung by Tom Fogerty, Stu Cook, and Doug Clifford? 🤣
Tom Fogerty wrote and performed lead vocals when CCR was known as The Golliwogs. His songs were terrible which is why John took over as the songwriter and lead vocalist when they became CCR. Tom Fogerty left CCR to embark on a solo career that went nowhere. Each album was terrible and got worse. He never improved in an entire decade both writing and singing.
Stu Cook and Doug Clifford were given the opportunity to both sing and write songs on Mardi Gras. The result was a disaster as both the singing and writing was crap. They later reformed as "Creedence Clearwater Revisited" and neither one of them attempted to write their own material when they had the full opportunity to do so.
So, all this proves is that John Fogerty was correct to have control of the band since his songwriting and vocals was CCR. Tom, Stu, and Doug were jealous of John which was obvious. When they were given the opportunity to write and sing, they totally bombed which made the animosity grow even more.
Tom, Stu, and Doug were not songwriters or singers. They were excellent musicians at playing their own instruments. Their jealousy and quest to become something they were not was what broke up the band.
You have no argument here since the material they put out was total crap and it would never have a "long life" amongst listeners because nobody listens to the garbage they already put out.
@stoytrivia1126
These guys created an insane amount of good music.
@Gmmaika
Nur John....und sie wurden um Millionen (!) betrogen.... Samuel Zantz, leider darf man zu dieser Person die Wahrheit nicht sagen...
@johnmcgowan2585
Love listening to this in my 69 road runner as I'm cruising down the highway!
@SmokinGun55
The legendary and brilliant John Fogerty.
@chuckselvage3157
CCR one of the best Rock n Roll bands of all time. They just kill it.
@79943
"Sweet hitch-a-hiker" One of the greatest lyric deliveries ever recorded. The way he added the
ain the middle of that phrase was what pushed it over the top for me.@Chops_McCoy
Very true. But I always thought Fogerty was singing "Swedish Hitchhiker"!
@timepoet77
@@Chops_McCoy Either that or he's singing in a bayou Italian accent.
@robertmaleski3679
You got to get up and dance when he says sweet it's hiker can't sit got to travel that's all what the traveling band CCR is about lobster 2022 that's bobster phone understand thank you
@gregking2571
@@Chops_McCoy "she was smilin' there, yellow in her hair."
You might be onto something 😂