Who would have thought that that Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl, and Zac Brown, accomplished musicians all, would be so, well, tone-deaf? But how else to explain their choice of song—Creedence Clearwater's famously anti-war anthem “Fortunate Son”—at the ostensibly pro-military “Concert for Valor” this evening on the National Mall?
The song, not to put too fine a point on it, is an anti-war screed, taking shots at "the red white and blue." It was a particularly terrible choice given that Fortunate Son is, moreover, an anti-draft song, and this concert was largely organized to honor those who volunteered to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq.
On a musical level, “Fortunate Song” is not a bad song—that's one hell of a riff. But the “Concert for Valor,” a Veterans Day event sponsored by HBO and Starbucks, in front of the Capitol Building, was not the place for it.
John Fogerty Shares Inspiration Behind "Fortunate Son"
Published on May 8, 2013
May 8, 1970 people of the United States stood by each other and protested the May 4th Kent State shootings. This instance and more of the time prompted John to write one of his classics "Fortunate Son." Hear the whole story behind this track above.
Fortunate Son came out in 1969, during the Vietnam protest era. John Fogerty was drafted in 1965. In '69 he was a vet who opposed the war. There were a whole lot people who opposed the war in the late 60's and early 70's, including members of the active duty military. The enlisted/drafted folks were not protesting the song in 69-70, they were listening to it at the base club.
The song is largely anti-draft and anti-favoritism to draft-avoiding sons of politicians and bigwigs. Somehow, to the guy getting drafted, some wealthy snot getting five deferments seemed unfair.
Springsteen also did "Born In The U.S.A."
[excerpt of lyrics]
Got in a little hometown jam so they put a rifle in my hand Sent me off to a foreign land to go and kill the yellow man Born in the U.S.A. I was born in the U.S.A. I was born in the U.S.A. I was born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. Come back home to the refinery Hiring man says "son if it was up to me" Went down to see my V.A. man He said "son don't you understand now" Had a brother at Khe Sahn fighting off the Viet Cong They're still there he's all gone He had a woman he loved in Saigon I got a picture of him in her arms now Down in the shadow of penitentiary Out by the gas fires of the refinery I'm ten years burning down the road Nowhere to run ain't got nowhere to go
“Born in the U.S.A.” is, to quote music critic Greil Marcus, “about the refusal of the country to treat Vietnam veterans as something more than nonunion workers in an enterprise conducted off the books. It is about the debt the country owes to those who suffered the violation of the principles on which the country was founded, and by which it was justified itself ever since.”
These songs are not anti-military. They are anti sending young men off to fight senseless wars. They are anti crapping on the military after their service is done. Think VA.
These songs are not anti-military. They are anti sending young men off to fight senseless wars. They are anti crapping on the military after their service is done. Think VA.
Finally - someone at this site who has the capacity to think for themselves instead of regurgitation the FAUX News propaganda.
The song (Fortunate Son) is largely anti-draft and anti-favoritism to draft-avoiding sons of politicians and bigwigs. Somehow, to the guy getting drafted, some wealthy snot getting five deferments seemed unfair.
Somehow, to the guy getting drafted, some wealthy snot getting five deferments seemed unfair.
Think GW Bush.
GW used influence to get into the Texas Air National Guard. At that time, the National Guard was not being sent on foreign adventures.
Actually, the thought was of Dick Cheney and his five deferments. Someone in that era should have named a learning institute Deferment University. I was on active duty at the time Fortunate Son was released. It was popular, not protested.
Cheney's Five Draft Deferments During the Vietnam Era Emerge as a Campaign Issue
By Katharine Q. Seelye Published: May 1, 2004
WASHINGTON, April 30 — It was 1959 when Dick Cheney, then a student at Yale University, turned 18 and became eligible for the draft.
Eventually, like 16 million other young men of that era, Mr. Cheney sought deferments. By the time he turned 26 in January 1967 and was no longer eligible for the draft, he had asked for and received five deferments, four because he was a student and one for being a new father.
