Lookin' out My Back Door

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"Lookin' out My Back Door"
Lookinoutmybackdoor45.jpg
Single by Creedence Clearwater Revival
from the album Cosmo's Factory
B-side "Long As I Can See the Light"
ReleasedJuly 25, 1970 (1970-07-25) [1]
Genre Country rock [2]
Length2:35
Label Fantasy
Songwriter(s) John Fogerty
Producer(s) John Fogerty
Creedence Clearwater Revival singles chronology
"Up Around the Bend"
(1970)
"Lookin' out My Back Door"
(1970)
"Have You Ever Seen the Rain?"
(1971)

"Lookin' out My Back Door" is a song recorded by the American band Creedence Clearwater Revival. Written by the band's lead singer, guitarist and songwriter John Fogerty, it is included on their fifth album Cosmo's Factory (1970), and became their fifth and final number-two Billboard hit, held off the top by Diana Ross's version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". It was their only Cash Box Top 100 number-one hit.

Contents

Song information

The song's lyrics, filled with colorful, dream-like imagery, lead some to believe that it is about drugs. According to the drug theory, the "flying spoon" was a reference to a cocaine or heroin spoon, and the crazy animal images were an acid trip. Fogerty, however, has stated in interviews that the song was actually written for his then three-year-old son, Josh. Fogerty has also said that the allusion to a parade passing by was inspired by the Dr. Seuss book And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street . [3]

The song begins and ends with the mention of Illinois, and locking the front door in a vain attempt to prevent his troubles there from following him home. Country singer Buck Owens is also mentioned in the song; country singer Buddy Alan, the son of Buck Owens, recorded a cover version of the song in 1971.

Reviewing the song, Cash Box stated "emphasing their early-rock gut appeal, CCR plunges into a rough-hewn bit of dance material that should sparkle." [4] Record World called it a "super-smash." [5] Billboard called it a "clever rhythm item." [6]

Covers

Jody Miller covered the song on her album Look at Mine.

The song was covered by the Finnish melodic death metal band Children of Bodom on their album Blooddrunk as a bonus track on the U.K. release.

Personnel

Chart history

The song was featured in The Big Lebowski .

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long As I Can See the Light</span> 1970 song by Creedence Clearwater Revival

"Long As I Can See the Light" is a song by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, from the album Cosmo's Factory. Released as the flip side of the single "Lookin' Out My Back Door" in 1970, it reached number 57 on the Cash Box singles chart in the US, number 20 in the UK, and number one in Norway.

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"Commotion" is a song by Creedence Clearwater Revival from the album Green River, and was also the B-side of the single release of the album's title track. In 1980, "Tombstone Shadow" b/w "Commotion'" was released as a single in the United States. While released as a B-side, "Commotion" reached #30 in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 and #16 in Germany. It was written by John Fogerty and recorded at Wally Heider's Studios in San Francisco in June 1969. The 45rpm was the debut session of the band at Wally Heider's and the first collaboration with engineer Russ Gary.

References

  1. Betts, Stephen L. (May 25, 2017). "See Wade Bowen's Playful Creedence Clearwater Revival Cover". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 6, 2020. Wade Bowen's web series Garage Mahal continues with the Texas musician's informal acoustic take on Creedence Clearwater Revival's 1970 country-rocker "Lookin' Out My Back Door."
  2. Bordowitz, Hank (1998). Bad Moon Rising: The Unauthorized History of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Chicago Review Press. p. 98. ISBN   9781569769843.
  3. "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 1, 1970. p. 34. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  4. "Single Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. August 1, 1970. p. 1. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  5. "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. August 1, 1970. p. 66. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  6. "Flavour of New Zealand, 7 December 1970". Flavourofnz.bo.nz. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  7. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989" . Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  8. "Cash Box Top 100 10/03/70". October 24, 2016. Archived from the original on October 24, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  9. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca.
  10. "Top 100 Hits of 1970/Top 100 Songs of 1970". Musicoutfitters.com.