CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL - DOWN ON THE CORNER

Released: October 1969

Charts: US: #3   UK: #31 

"Down on the Corner" is a track from the 1969 album “Willy and the Poor Boys”. It was released as a single, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 on December 20, 1969. The song features a lively, upbeat rhythm and tells the story of a fictional band, "Willy and the Poor Boys”. The flip side of the single, "Fortunate Son*," also achieved notable success, reaching #14 on the US charts on November 22, 1969. 

"Down on the Corner" embodies the spirit of the fictional band. While the song is the only one explicitly connected to this concept, the band is featured on the album cover as the fictional jug band. The narrative centers around Willy and the Poor Boys, street musicians performing for coins, emphasizing their hardworking roots. The cover depicts the band playing outside the Duck Kee Market, a location near their recording studio, although it holds no particular significance to the band's history. John Fogerty notes that he visited the market only once after the album's release.

John Fogerty revealed that the lyrics for the song were inspired by a Disney advertisement featuring "Winnie the Pooh." The phrase "Winnie the Pooh and the Pooh Boys" struck him as a playful twist on "Willy and the Poor Boys." As he developed this concept, the music began to flow in that almost magical way songwriters experience. Fogerty also shared that Winnie the Pooh remains his favorite character, a sentiment he has cherished with his daughter Kelsy since her birth, even as she outgrows it.

The line "Willy goes into a dance and doubles on kazoo" is frequently misheard. Journalist Phil Elwood mistakenly interpreted it as "Devil's on the loose" and published this version in a newspaper article. John Fogerty found this mix-up amusing and, as a playful nod to Elwood, referenced it in his later song "Run Through the Jungle" with the lines: "They told me, 'Don't go walking slow / 'Cause Devil's on the loose.'"

John Fogerty recalled that bassist Stu Cook struggled to play the bass part for the track despite spending six weeks rehearsing. Fogerty noted in “Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music” that Cook lacked rhythm, leading to tension during the recording session. Ultimately, Fogerty recorded all the vocal tracks himself, layering them to create the effect of harmonizing with himself.