"Lodi" is a song written by John Fogerty and performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Recorded in March 1969, it was released in April, four months before the album, as the B-side of "Bad Moon Rising", the lead single from Green River.[4]
| "Lodi" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by Creedence Clearwater Revival | |
| from the album Green River | |
| A-side | "Bad Moon Rising" |
| Released | April 1969 |
| Recorded | March 1969, Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:10 |
| Label | Fantasy |
| Songwriter(s) | John Fogerty |
| Producer(s) | John Fogerty |
Background
editThe song describes the plight of a down-and-out musician whose career has landed him playing gigs in the town of Lodi, California[citation needed]. After playing in local bars, the narrator finds himself stranded and unable to raise bus or train fare to leave.[4] Fogerty later said he had never actually visited Lodi before writing the song, and simply picked it for the song because it had "the coolest sounding name."[5] The song's chorus, "Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again," has been the theme of several city events in Lodi.[5]
John Fogerty also stated, "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."[6]
The song's arrangement includes a change of key in the final verse of the track, emphasising the melancholy drama of the lyric, "If I only had a dollar for every song I sung..."[4]
Reception
editBillboard described the single as having "an easy beat," being as powerful as its flip side "Bad Moon Rising" and as having a similar feel to Creedence Clearwater Revival's earlier single "Proud Mary."[7] Cash Box similarly described it as "powerhouse material" that is similar to and as strong as the group's previous single "Proud Mary."[8]
Cover versions
editThe song has been covered by many musicians, including:
- Advance Base
- Tesla
- Emmylou Harris
- Amy Ray
- Shawn Colvin
- Tom Jones
- Buddy Alan
- Jeffrey Foucault
- The Flying Burrito Brothers
- Ronnie Hawkins
- Smokie
- Dan Penn
- Also in 1969, Al Wilson peaked at number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his version and number 51 in Canada.[9][10]
- The Blue Aeroplanes
- Tim Armstrong
- FIDLAR
- Freddie King
- The Italian band Stormy Six
- Bo Diddley
- The Brandos
- Eric Church
- Lobo
- Janiva Magness
- In 1992, a free translation was a small hit as "Rocker in Holland" for Dutch singer Jan Rot.
References
edit- ^ "The 25 best country rock songs of all time". Classic Rock Magazine. August 5, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ^ Marsh, Dave (1989). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. Plume. p. 527. ISBN 0-452-26305-0.
- ^ Segretto, Mike (2022). "1969". 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Minute - A Critical Trip Through the Rock LP Era, 1955–1999. Backbeat. pp. 205–206. ISBN 9781493064601.
- ^ a b c Janovitz, Bill. "Lodi". AllMusic. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
- ^ a b Farrow, Ross. "Residents are proud to be 'Stuck in Lodi'". Lodi News-Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 31, 2006. Retrieved June 7, 2007.
- ^ "Fogerty's Guide to Creedence Clearwater Revival". Johnfogerty.com. Archived from the original on December 31, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
- ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. April 26, 1969. p. 82. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. April 26, 1969. p. 22. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955–2012. Record Research. p. 918.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - September 27, 1969" (PDF).