Hear What I Hear: Fortunate Son
So, I came across this live version of a John Fogarty hit, Fortunate Son, performed by Bruce Springsteen after he introduced John Fogarty. The lyrics describe those who are better born than the working-class slobs like the Fogarty Brothers, their bandmates, Bruce Springsteen, the voice of the suburbs, myself, and a few of you.
‘Some folks are born silver spoon in hand
Lord, don't they help themselves, Lord?
But when the taxman come to the door
Lord, the house lookin' like a rummage sale, yeah
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no millionaire's son, no, no
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one, no.’
I was shocked when I read the lyrics describing Donald Trump's evasion of the draft with his father's help and his New York tax evasion when he lowered the value of his homes to reduce his tax liability, claiming he had so little. The song was released in 1969 by Creedence Clearwater Revival, led by the Fogarty brothers, John and Tom. Vietnam was the poor man’s war; rich people like the Trumps sent us unwashed from the Bronx, children of migrants, and other unwashed brats throughout the country to their war. I was so lucky my sainted mother had the grace to wait till February for me to be born. I would have been prime Bronx beef if I had been born a few months earlier. In June 1972, Nixon decided to no more draftees to VietNam; in October 1972, Nixon declared victory, and we left VietNam. I dodged the bullet, and Jerry Ford was left holding the bag when Saigon fell in 1975, being held responsible for Nixon, just like Biden was left holding the bag for Trump declaring victory after he surrendered Afghanistan to the Taliban in 2021 in his Doha agreement on 2/29/2020 ending the US involvement. We had to be out by the agreement Trump signed.
Trump wanted the Nobel Peace Prize for surrendering Agafstain so he would be equal to Obama. To use John Fogarty’s words, So, when the man knocks on the door, I ask him what he wants, you Trumpers tell me, More, more, more!’
Below is Bruce celebrating the great John Fogarty
0:33 / 3:19
Bruce Springsteen w. John Fogerty - Fortunate Son - Madison Square Garden, NYC - 2009/10/29&30