John Fogerty performs Creedence Clearwater Revival classics in the latest installment of Rolling Stone’s “In My Room,” a new IGTV series in which musicians perform from their homes in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Fogerty’s performance follows Brian Wilson‘s and Angelique Kidjo‘s. The clip opens with Fogerty sitting in his yard, decked in his signature flannel and accompanied by his dog named Creedence. “These are certainly different times that we’re living through,” he says. “Wash your hands … nobody really knows how long this is going to last, but the better we do at taking the advice of medical people, the shorter it will be.”
“I’m sure we’re all going stir crazy after 10 days or so of doing this,” he continued. “And I thought I’d go outside and get some fresh air and maybe sing a couple of songs. Be well, everyone.”
He then struck the acoustic guitar with the iconic strum from “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” off of 1971’s Pendulum. “Someone told me long ago/There’s a calm before the storm,” he sings. “I know, it’s been comin’ for some time.”
It’s long been thought that “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” is about the Vietnam War, with the rain symbolizing bombs. However, Fogerty diffused this to Rolling Stone in 1993, saying it was about CCR and the tension they were experiencing, ultimately leading to their breakup in 1972. “That song is really about the impending breakup of Creedence,” he said. “The imagery is, you can have a bright, beautiful, sunny day and it can be raining at the same time. The band was breaking up. I was reacting: ‘Geez, this is all getting serious right at the time when we should be having a sunny day.’ “
The scene then shifts to inside Fogerty’s home studio, as he appears in a different flannel shirt (one must wonder what his closet looks like) and performs the beloved CCR song “Bad Moon Rising.” “Look’s like we’re in for nasty weather,” he suspects. “One eye is taken for an eye.”
For the final song, “Long As I Can See the Light,” Fogerty relocates to a piano in his living room, flanked by candles and a fireplace behind him. He performs the tender track from 1970’s Cosmo’s Factory, singing, “Put a candle in the window/’Cause I feel I’ve gotta move/Though I’m going, going/I’ll be coming home soon.”
Fogerty’s upcoming shows in April have been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. For the time being, his summer European leg and Las Vegas fall residency are still on schedule. You can hear 50 Year Trip: Live at Red Rocks here. For more information, visit his website.
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