Why does Trump love playing 'Fortunate Son' at rallies? John Fogerty has a pretty good theory

[Zorro]

It seems impossible to miss the message of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s 1969 hit “Fortunate Son.” “Some folks are born, made to wave the flag,” John Fogerty sings during its opening salvo against the class divides in the Vietnam War era. “Ooh, they’re red, white and blue / And when the band plays ‘Hail to the Chief’ / Ooh, they point the cannon at you.”

It’s a defining single of the protest rock era, aimed right at silver-spoon hypocrites who claim patriotism to shield their privilege.

So why on earth does President Trump, perhaps the most fortunate of sons in American political life (who got a deferment from Vietnam service because of alleged bone spurs), keep playing it at rallies in the closing days of the presidential campaign?

“He’s in his helicopter, hovering over a big crowd. It’s like a scene out of all the Vietnam War movies, and maybe he sees that scene in his head, even if it’s completely cuckoo,“ Fogerty, 75, told The Times on the Friday afternoon before election day.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-10-30/john-fogerty-trump-fortunate-son

Trump also loves playing it because it pisses off sane and rational people who recognize the cognitive dissonance it represents.

[GoCubsGo]

1. Or, matybe he never bothered to listen to the lyrics.

Much like when right-wingers like to play Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" at their events. They seem oblivious to the fact that it's a song about the failures of their own economic values.

It's also quite possible that Trump only hears the "It ain't me. It ain't me." chorus. We are talking about a guy who has never taken responsibility for his own actions in his entire life, after all.

[stopdiggin]

5. going with #1

the lyrics sound -- on the surface, with the thinnest of superficial take, and no context for history or political thought -- to be sort of, flag waving, truck drivin', middle class resentment anthemish. And that's quite close enough for anything Trump is involved with -- or the crowd he rocks. Doesn't matter what the words really say. Remember -- we don't do facts or analysis. It's all about the mood, baby!

(and, yeah -- the Springsteen hit is/was a perfect illustration. never liked the song that much -- for different reasons entirely.)
----- --- --- -----

[JHB]

2. It's simpler than that: they never paid attention to the lyrics

They like the sound of the song, they remember the various scenes in movies where it's played, but aside for lines here and there don't know what it actually says.

[unblock]

3. first, i don't think donnie himself is picking out every individual song.

probably sometimes he says let's play this song or that song, but i doubt he does it every time and i'm guessing he didn't pick this particular song. and if so, i doubt it's because of any vietnam era imagery rattling around inside his pea-brain.


personally, i think it's a song about resentment of ordinary people against other people taking advantage of an unfair system. that plays right into the right-wing martyr syndrome, where they're just ordinary people and victims of government policies that somehow give minorities an advantage over white people. the logic of their thinking is ridiculous, but they're convinced they're the victims and their resentment is huge.

this song reflects resentment, so it fits, even though the target of the resentment should be donnie. republicans inexplicably think donnie is on their side.

[exboyfil]

4. He is the Fortunate Son

and he loves lording over us with it. His cultist followers recognize his superior position (no different than Koresh or Jim Jones). He is entitled by birth.

[judeling]

6. YMCA and Bohemian Rapsody make about as much sense.

[GoCubsGo]

7. YMCA sounds a bit like USMCA.

A.k.a. "NAFTA with minor tweaks" that he likes to tout as an accomplishment.

Some of it is also playing music that is popular with the dominant age group that makes up his audience. It's their "golden oldies."