Fortunate Son

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son

Some folks are born
made to wave the flag,
Ooh, they're red, whit and blue.
And when the band plays "Hail to the chief",
they point the cannon right at you.
It ain't me,
it ain't me.
I ain't no senator's son.
It ain't me,
it ain't me.
I ain't no fortunate one.
Some folks are born
silver spoon in hand,
Lord don't they help themselves.
But when the tax man comes to the door,
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale.
It ain't me,
it ain't me.
I ain't no millionaire's son.
It ain't me,
it ain't me.
I ain't no fortunate one.
Some folks inherit
star spangled eyes,
Ooh, they send you down to war.
And when you ask them,
"How much should we give?"
They only answer "More! More! More!"
It ain't me,
it ain't me.
I ain't no military son.
It ain't me,
it ain't me.
I ain't no fortunate one.
It ain't me,
it ain't me.
I ain't no Fortunate Son.

Creedence Clearwater Revival is an American Rock band who plays a mix of swamp rock and rock and roll. Members of the band include Tom Fogerty, John Fogerty, Stu Cook, and Doug Clifford. The band got split up in 1966 when John Fogerty and Doug Clifford got called to military service. After the service ended the band picked up again and they band started succeeding again. A lot of there songs revolved around protest and anti-war music about Vietnam. CCR’s use of poetic devices in their music includes alliteration, allusions, and rhyme. This is most notable in their song “Fortunate Son”

In the song “fortunate son” there are many examples of poetic devices. Alliteration is a good example that can be used. In the line where he says “Senators son, son” you can see alliteration. Another example is “some folks inherit star spangled eyes.” Here there is alliteration also. Another example is “Silver spoon in hand.” This is all the alliteration that is found, but there are also allusions and symbolism. The line “some folks are born with a silver spoon in hand” is talking about how some people are born into rich families, and there are the less fortunate who are forced to go off to war. Another example is “Some folks inherit star spangled eyes, Ooh, they send you down to war, lord.” This is talking about the opposite, it is saying how other people are born into poverty and forced to go to war by the rich, and they are not the “fortunate sons.”

Since the time this song has been created not much has changed in how things work. The poor are still the ones who are forced to go to war. The draft is not prevalent at the moment but there is talk of bringing it back. The sons and daughters of rich families don’t go to war, but they are the ones who control what happens.