THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

502-Creedence Clearwater Revival-Bad Moon Rising.

1969-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 0.33. There’s a bathroom on the right.

This song contains one of the most famous misheard lyrics in ‘Pop’ music. ‘There’s a bad moon on the rise,’ is often misheard as ‘There’s a bathroom on the right.’ The mishearing became so famous that when the bands lead singer John Fogerty performs the song live, he sings the bathroom line, and points towards the toilets from the stage.

Creedence Clearwater Revival, which is often abbreviated to ‘CCR,’ were a Rock group, who were formed at Portola Junior High School, in El Cerrito, California, United States, in 1959, by the three school friends John Fogerty, (lead vocals, lead guitar, and primary songwriter) Stuart Cook, (bass) and Doug Clifford, (drums) they were soon joined by John Fogerty’s older brother Tom Fogerty, (1941-1990) (rhythm guitar) and initially went by the stage name of ‘Blue Velvets.’ In 1964 they were signed by ‘Fantasy Records,’ and re-named ‘The Golliwogs,’ after the children’s literary character Golliwog,’ by Max Weiss of ‘Fantasy Records.’ It was in January 1968 that the group made their final name change to ‘Creedence Clearwater Revival.’ According to interviews with the band members some 20 years later, the name’s elements came from three sources, Tom Fogerty’s friend Credence Newball, whose name they changed to form the word Creedence (as in creed,) a television commercial for the ‘Olympia Brewing Company’ (‘clear water,’) and the four members’ renewed commitment to their band. ‘CCR’ remained active until 1972, when the other three members frustration at John Fogerty’s dominance in the writing and producing of the groups songs finally came to a head, and they decided to call it a day.

As the ‘Blue Velvets,’ they released six non charting singles between 1961-1962, and 14 non charting singles as ‘The Golliwogs,’ between 1964-1967, with a further nine singles, which were unreleased during that time period, being made available in 2001. The discography of Creedence Clearwater Revival, who have sold in excess of 45 million Albums in America includes, seven studio Albums released between 1968-1972, and 29 singles released between 1968-1990, there are also 41 official compilation Albums, and five live Albums available. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, 13 of their singles have reached the top 40, with five of those songs all peaking at Number 2, which is a record for an artist, or artists, who have never had a Billboard Hot 100 Number 1 single. In the UK, nine of their singles have made the top 40, with ‘Bad Moon Rising,’ reaching the Number 1 position.

‘Bad Moon Rising’ was the first of two singles released from ‘Green River,’ which was the third studio Album released by Creedence Clearwater Revival, from August 1969. The song was written and produced by John Fogerty, who was born John Cameron Fogerty, on May 28th, 1945, in Berkeley, California, United States. After parting ways with ‘CCR,’ John Fogerty has gone on to record 10 solo studio Albums between 1973-2020, and released 26 singles between 1972-2021. As a solo artist on the Billboard Hot 100, he has had five further top 40 hits, with ‘The Old Man Down the Road,’ peaking the highest at Number 10 in 1984. Apart from ‘Bad Moon Rising’ his other best known songs include ‘Proud Mary,’ (see also best songs 752) and ‘Rockin’ All Over the World,’ which was covered by the British Rock group Status Quo, (see also best songs 905 and 108) who opened ‘Live Aid’ with the song in 1985.

John Fogerty got the idea for ‘Bad Moon Rising’ after watching the 1941 American supernatural film ‘The Devil and Daniel Webster.’ The song was inspired by a scene in the film in which a hurricane destroys the crops of several farms, but spares those of Jabez Stone, the character in the film who makes a deal with the devil in exchange for wealth. It is ironic that a song inspired by a film should itself be used in so many movies over the years, most famously in ‘An American in London,’ in 1981. John Fogerty readily admits borrowing the songs guitar riff from the 1955 Elvis Presley song ‘I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone,’ which was written by Scotty Moore (1931-2016.) In 1986 at an awards function, Moore jokingly grabbed John Fogerty from behind and said, ‘Give me back my licks.’ ‘Bad Moon Rising’ warns us that Armageddon is just around the corner, but what Fogerty was probably referring to was the state of America in the late 1960’s.

‘Hope you got your things together, hope you are quite prepared to die. Looks like we’re in for nasty weather, one eye is taken for an eye. Well don’t go around tonight, well it’s bound to take your life, there’s a bad moon on the rise.’