# "Fortunate Son" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 6, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588 "2003-03-06T22:36:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/1 "2003-03-06T22:36:03Z")
Inspired by the “Best Protest Songs” thread… Has anyone else seen and been repulsed by the Levi’s commercial using this song, an anti-Vietnam War and sorta anti-America song, as a flag-waving come-on to buy jeans? I get infuriated and yell at the TV when the ad comes on. Is ANYONE in CCR alive to complain? It’s like Reagan using “Born in the USA,” only more blatantly idiotic. hrh ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/91b2a8/32.png) [@Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_of_Sandwhich)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/2 "2003-03-06T22:44:34Z")
I’m fairly sure John Fogerty is still alive. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/3 "2003-03-06T23:03:56Z")
Some folks are born, made to wave the flag Ooh, they’re red, white and blue Apparently the advertizing people believe that no one who buys jeans will know that the next lines are: And when the band play “Hail to the Chief” They point the cannon right at you Not to mention the last verse, which is particularly appropriate for today: 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! ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/4 "2003-03-07T00:06:39Z")
I’d noticed this commercial and been similarly nauseated, **hrhomer**. Way to eviscerate the song’s message. I’ve always thought “Fortunate Son” applied to Dubya eerily well. He truly is the fortunate one, born with silver spoon in hand, star-spangled eyes, born, no, MADE to wave the flag that he of course defended diligently in… the Texas Air National Guard. I’ll shut up now. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/5 "2003-03-07T00:12:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Earl of Sandwhich \* > \*\*I’m fairly sure John Fogerty is still alive. \*\* He’s alive all right, but he doesn’t control the copyright to this song–Saul “Kant Danz” Zaentz does. Fogerty is reportedly pretty pissed off about the commercial. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/6 "2003-03-07T00:38:54Z")
I personally thought it was hilarious. I never cared much for the song or its sentiment, so I was very amused to see it turned on its ear. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/7 "2003-03-07T02:37:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hrhomer \* > **Has anyone else seen and been repulsed by the Levi’s commercial using this song…** Yes and yes. ---
**Author:** ![djf750](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@djf750](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/djf750)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/8 "2003-03-07T04:22:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rubystreak \* > \*\* > > I’ve always thought “Fortunate Son” applied to Dubya eerily well. He truly is the fortunate one, born with silver spoon in hand, star-spangled eyes, born, no, MADE to wave the flag that he of course defended diligently in… the Texas Air National Guard. > > \*\* AND Al Gore… I swear they played this song all the time during the elections a few years ago and I use to think how it applied to both candidates. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/9 "2003-03-07T04:26:53Z")
I’ve also heard it applied to Dan Quayle. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/10 "2003-03-07T06:30:24Z")
I was disgusted with that commercial as well. Talk about taking something out of context. ---
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/11 "2003-03-07T07:28:22Z")
You know what’s even worse? Levis completely screwed it up. Think about it. Jeans. Casual, functional, affordable, uniquely American. Clothes for the ordinary man. _Why not_ use the song as it was intended? “You don’t have to be a fortunate son to appreciate the rugged, relaxed fit…” etc. Makes a helluva lot more sense, no? I really, really don’t understand how the advertising industry works at all. (Don’t get me started on those BSAF commercials.) ---
**Author:** ![kawliga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@kawliga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kawliga)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/12 "2003-03-07T08:16:40Z")
The commercial is for Wrangler Jeans, not Levis. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/13 "2003-03-07T14:24:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DKW \* > \*\*I really, really don’t understand how the advertising industry works at all. \*\* 1. Assume that the public is retarded. 2. Play to their base emotions. 3. Repeat. hrh ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/14 "2003-03-07T14:25:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kawliga \* > \*\*The commercial is for Wrangler Jeans, not Levis. \*\* Oops. Whatever. I find that I ignore the brands purposefully if I’m offended by the commercial… hrh ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/15 "2003-03-07T14:49:11Z")
Isn’t someone else using _Hurdy Gurdy Man_ to promote some stupid ass product as well? I haven’t seen this particular commercial, but I have to admit, stuff like this really makes me laugh. In a “You ignorant F\*#K!!” kinda way. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/16 "2003-03-07T17:43:55Z")
Then there’s that Bob Dylan song hawking Victoria’s Secret underwear lately…talk about incongruous. So much for Mr. Zimmerman’s days as a counterculture icon. ---
**Author:** ![Breezy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b3f665/32.png) [@Breezy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Breezy)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/17 "2003-03-07T19:03:03Z")
My husband gets so mad at that commercial that he changes turns it off when the commercial comes on. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/18 "2003-03-07T19:11:34Z")
To the OP: yes and yes. And, unfortunately, **Biffy** is right - Fogerty has no control over the use of the song. Also [this article](http://www.cent.com/abetting/Jon1202.html) says that Zaentz and Fogerty have quite a long-running feud, and that allowing this song to be used in a jeans commercial is Zaentz’s way of taking another dig at Fogerty. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/19 "2003-03-07T19:40:20Z")
I hate “me too” posts, but I have to “me too” this one. That commercial is offensive to me on too many levels to count. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588/20 "2003-03-07T20:14:13Z")
I’m just popping in to object to the characterization of Fortunate Son as anti-American. Indeed, it voices the complaints of the populist streak which runs throughout American history. Rude Awakening #2 – now that is anti-American. –Cliffy [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fortunate-son/159588.md?page=2)