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Rating: 1969: year of grace for rock and particularly for the Creedence Clearwater Revival led by John Fogerty and featured at the Woodstock festival; in this year, the group, which represents a true "encyclopedia on the road" of classic rock'n'roll released no fewer than three albums, including this Green River.
The album opens with the guitar-based title track and its rolling rhythm that takes us back to the typical atmospheres of the period, while "Commotion" is a captivating classic hard-blues that somewhat recalls the psychedelic magic of Hendrix and ends with a decidedly epileptic finale. The album continues with a track that has the flavor of garage-rock but lacks genuine progression like "Tombstone Shadow" and with one of the most beautiful and passionate folk serenades ever composed named "Wrote Song For Everyone". "Bad Moon Rising" is one of the group's most famous tracks and essentially connects to the purest American folkloric tradition and thus to Woody Guthrie while thematically setting it to the historical developments of the era described by this group that has been a flag-bearer of important social and politically-infused initiatives; followed by a classical worker's origin r'n'r like "Lodi".
"Cross-Tie Walker" is a piece where the choice to combine different genres like country and folk into a genuine and rhythmically first-class structure is evident; the eighth song represents for me the pinnacle of this splendid album: indeed, "Sinister Purpose" is a splendid ride with an almost claustrophobic hard-rock flavor, from which undoubtedly some groups in the following years have drawn inspiration. "The Night Time Is The Right Time" is the only cover on the album and represents a Brown, Caden, Herman soul classic interpreted with great pathos and participation.
Now all that remains is to find 'Bayou Country' which unfortunately I do not know and appreciate even more the greatness of a memorable band as it is capable of perfectly combining the aspects at the very core of the concept of ROCK.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Green River (02:36)
Well, take me back down where cool water flows, yeah.
Let me remember things I love,
Stoppin' at the log where catfish bite,
Walkin' along the river road at night,
Barefoot girls dancin' in the moonlight.
I can hear the bullfrog callin' me.
Wonder if my rope's still hangin' to the tree.
Love to kick my feet 'way down the shallow water.
Shoefly, dragonfly, get back t'your mother.
Pick up a flat rock, skip it across Green River.
Welllllll!
Up at Cody's camp I spent my days, oh,
With flat car riders and cross-tie walkers
Old Cody, Junior took me over,
Said,You're gonna find the world is smould'rin'.
And if you get lost come on home to Green River.
Welllllll!
Come on home.
02 Commotion (02:44)
Traffic in the city turns my head around.
No, no, no, no, no.
Backed up on the freeway, backed up in the church,
Ev'rywhere you look there's a frown, frown.
CHORUS:
Com, commotion,
Git, git, git, gone.
Com, commotion,
Git, git, git, gone.
People keep atalkin', they don't say a word.
Jaw, jaw, jaw, jaw, jaw.
Talk up in the White House, talk up to your door,
So much goin' on I just can't hear.
CHORUS
Hurryin' to get there so you save some time.
Run, run, run, run, run.
Rushin' to the treadmill, rushin' to get home,
Worry 'bout the time you save, save.
CHORUS
03 Tombstone Shadow (03:39)
Tombstone Shadow, stretchin' across my path.
Tombstone Shadow, stretchin' across my path.
Ev'ry time I get some good news, Ooh,
There's a shadow on my back.
Saw the gypsy man, 'way down in San Berdoo.
Said, I saw the gypsy man, 'way down in San Berdoo.
Five dollars on the table, Ooh,
Keep me 'way from my tomb.
Oh! Oh!
Said I got thirteen months of bad luck,
Bound to be some pain.
Don't you do no trav'lin',
Fly in no machines.
Tombstone Shadow, stretchin' across my path.
Ev'ry time I get some good news, Ooh,
There's a shadow on my back.
The man gave me a luck charm, Cost five dollars more,
Said, "Put some on your pillow, and put some on your door."
He said, "Take a long vacation, Ooh,
For thirteen months or more."
Oh, Lord!
Tombstone Shadow, stretchin' across my path.
Tombstone Shadow, stretchin' across my path.
Ev'ry time I get some good news, Ooh,
There's a shadow on my back.
Oh, oh, Lord!
Oh, Lord!
04 Wrote a Song for Everyone (04:59)
Met myself a comin' county welfare line.
I was feelin' strung out, Hung out on the line.
Saw myself a goin', down to war in June.
All I want, All I want is to write myself a tune.
CHORUS:
Wrote A Song For Ev'ryone,
Wrote a song for truth.
Wrote A Song For Ev'ryone
When I couldn't even talk to you.
Got myself arrested, Wound me up in jail.
Richmond 'bout to blow up, Communication failed.
If you see the answer, now's the time to say.
All I want, All I want is to get you down to pray.
CHORUS
CHORUS
Saw the people standin' thousand years in chains.
Somebody said it's diff'rent now, look, it's just the same.
Pharoahs spin the message, round and round the truth.
They could have saved a million people, How can I tell you?
CHORUS
CHORUS
CHORUS
05 Bad Moon Rising (02:21)
I see a bad moon rising
I see trouble on the way
I see earthquakes and lightning
I see bad times today
Don't go around tonight
Oh it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise
I hear hurricanes a-blowin'
I know the end is comin' soon
I feel rivers overflowin'
I hear the voice of rage and ruin
Don't go around tonight
Oh it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise
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 round tonight
Oh it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise
Don't come around tonight
Oh it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise
06 Lodi (03:12)
Just about a year ago, I set out on the road,
Seekin' my fame and fortune, lookin' for a pot of gold.
Things got bad, and things got worse, I guess you will know the tune.
Oh ! Lord, Stuck in Lodi again.
Rode in on the Greyhound, I'll be walkin' out if I go.
I was just passin' through, must be seven months or more.
Ran out of time and money, looks like they took my friends.
Oh ! Lord, I'm stuck in Lodi again.
The man from the magazine said I was on my way.
Somewhere I lost connections, ran out of songs to play.
I came into town, a one night stand, looks like my plans fell through
Oh ! Lord, Stuck in Lodi again.
Mmmm...
If I only had a dollar, for ev'ry song I've sung.
And ev'ry time I've had to play while people sat there drunk.
You know, I'd catch the next train back to where I live.
Oh ! Lord, I'm stuck in Lodi again.
Oh ! Lord, I'm stuck in Lodi again.
08 Sinister Purpose (03:22)
When the sky is gray
And the moon is hate
I'll be down to get you.
Roots of earth will shake.
CHORUS:
Sinister Purpose
Knockin' at your door;
Come and take my hand.
Burn away the goodness;
You and I remain.
Did you see the last war?
Well, here I am again.
CHORUS
I can set you free,
Make you rich and wise.
We can live forever;
Look into my eyes.
CHORUS
Mm-mm-mm-mm....
09 The Night Time Is the Right Time (03:09)
(minus the "wah-do-day"'s)
You know the night time, oh, is the right time
To be with the one you love.
I said the night time, ooh, is the right time
To be with the one you love.
I said the night time, ooh, is the right time
To be with the one you love.
Baby, I said a baby, Baby, come on and drive me crazy, Lord,
You know I love you; always thinkin' of you.
Hey, baby; oh, I said a baby.
You know the night time is the right time
To be with the one you love.
Aaaah!
I said the night time oh, is the right time
To be with the one you love.
I said the night time, ooh, is the right time
To be with the one you love.
I said the night time oh, is the right time
To be with the one you love.
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