♫ Lodi ♫

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I was considering a redux of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Fortunate Son, but decided I’d look just a little bit and see if there was one of their songs that I like but haven’t played here yet.  Sure enough … I came up with Lodi.  I was very surprised to find that this only charted at #52 in the U.S. and not at all in Canada or the UK, for I thought it was one of their better songs.  But then, I’m not known for my good taste  😉

This song is a reflection on John Fogerty’s days with The Golliwogs, an early version of Creedence Clearwater Revival. They had to struggle for success, playing wherever they could with dilapidated equipment and an often indifferent audience. He did not want a return to the Bad Old Days.  Lodi is a city in California located in the central valley, about 30 miles south of Sacramento and 75 or 100 miles east of San Francisco/Oakland. Fogerty and his earlier band often performed in “nowhere towns” like Lodi.

Of the song, Fogerty once said …

“On ‘Lodi’, I saw a much older person than I was, ’cause it is sort of a tragic telling. A guy is stuck in a place where people really don’t appreciate him. Since I was at the beginning of a good career, I was hoping that that wouldn’t happen to me.”

Lodi
Creedence Clearwater Revival

Just about a year ago
I set out on the road
Seekin’ my fame and fortune
Lookin’ for a pot of gold
Thing got bad things got worse
I guess you will know the tune
Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again

I rode in on the Greyhound
I’ll be walkin’ out if I go
I was just passin’ through
Must be seven 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

If I only had a dollar
For ev’ry song I’ve sung
And ev’ry time I 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

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: John Cameron Fogerty
Lodi lyrics © Concord Music Publishing LLC

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24 thoughts on “♫ Lodi ♫”

  4. Oddly enough, despite a rather Country feel I didn’t mind this one too much though I can see why it wasn’t a UK favourite. Coiuntry music was an age related style until people like John Fogarty played a kind of crossover style rock.
    Cwtch

    Liked by 1 person

    • YAY!!! I have been batting zero with you on my music choices of late, so I’m happy you like this one, even though it wasn’t a hit in the UK. I think Clive’s explanation is probably spot on … it was the ‘B-side’ of probably their biggest hit. I never thought of this one as country, but … I suppose there is an element of country in it. Anyway, I’m glad you didn’t mind this one too much! 😉
      Cwtch

      Liked by 1 person

  5. There’s no such thing as a poor CCR song – just degrees of greatness! This was the B-side of Bad Moon Rising and, as we’ve discussed before, we never went for that quaint American custom of counting both sides of a single separately for chart positions 😉

    Liked by 3 people

  7. Jill, another great story telling song. This one is a slower version of the normal CCR song. When I would sing this to my kids when I rocked them to sleep, I would invariably flip the lyrics not sure what came next, but it is one that is easy to remember the stanzas regardless of the order I put the, in. Keith

    Liked by 2 people

    • I think, Keith, that you should get a stuffed animal or something, sit down in that rocking chair, and sing this one as if you were singing one of your children to sleep. Only, I think you should have your wife record it and then post that recording on your blog, for I would love to hear you singing this song! I bet others would, too! And we don’t even care what order you put the stanzas in or if you repeat one a time or two!

      Like

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