Run Through the Jungle

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"Run Through the Jungle"
Uparoundthebend45.jpg
Single by Creedence Clearwater Revival
from the album Cosmo's Factory
A-side "Up Around the Bend"
ReleasedApril 1970
RecordedMarch 1970, Wally Heider's Studio, San Francisco, California
Genre
Length3:05
Label Fantasy Records
Songwriter(s) John Fogerty
Producer(s) John Fogerty
Creedence Clearwater Revival singles chronology
"Up Around The Bend"
(1970)
"Run Through the Jungle"
(1970)
"Lookin' Out My Back Door"
(1970)
Audio sample
"Run Through the Jungle"

"Run Through the Jungle" is a 1970 song by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was released as a double A-side single with "Up Around The Bend" and on the album Cosmo's Factory .

Contents

History

The song was written by Creedence's lead singer, guitarist and songwriter, John Fogerty. It was included on their 1970 album Cosmo's Factory , the group's fifth album. The song's title and lyrics, as well as the year it was released (1970), have led many to assume that the song is about the Vietnam War. The fact that previous Creedence Clearwater Revival songs such as "Fortunate Son" were protests of the Vietnam War added to this belief. [3]

However, in a 2016 interview, Fogerty explained that the song is actually about the proliferation of guns in the United States.

The thing I wanted to talk about was gun control and the proliferation of guns... I remember reading around that time that there was one gun for every man, woman and child in America, which I found staggering. So somewhere in the song, I think I said, '200 million guns are loaded.' Not that anyone else has the answer, but I did not have the answer to the question; I just had the question. I just thought it was disturbing that it was such a jungle for our citizens just to walk around in our own country at least having to be aware that there are so many private guns owned by some responsible and maybe many irresponsible people. [4]

The song's opening and closing both featured jungle sound effects created by, according to the band's bassist Stu Cook, "lots of backwards recorded guitar and piano." [3] The harmonica part on the song was played by John Fogerty. The song was also Tom Fogerty's favorite CCR song: "My all-time favorite Creedence tune was 'Run Through the Jungle'. . . . It's like a little movie in itself with all the sound effects. It never changes key, but it holds your interest the whole time. It's like a musician's dream. It never changes key, yet you get the illusion it does." [5]

Record World called the single with "Up Around the Bend" a "two-sided monster." [6] Cash Box said that the double-sided single "takes the act out of its sustained bag of either Little Richard or 'bayou-tagged' music" but that compared to "Up Around the Bend", this song "presents a less-removed glimpse of the familiar Creedence." [7]

Ultimate Classic Rock critic Bryan Wawzenek rated the lyrics of "Run Through the Jungle" as Fogerty's 8th greatest, saying "Fogerty has written many songs cloaked in ominous foreboding...But the danger in the song feels just a little more imminent, especially when you’ve got Satan on your tail." [8]

Controversy

The song was later the subject of controversy when Saul Zaentz, the boss of CCR's record label, Fantasy Records, which owns the distribution and publishing rights to the music of Creedence Clearwater Revival, brought a series of lawsuits against John Fogerty, including a claim that the music from Fogerty's 1984 song "The Old Man Down the Road" was too similar to "Run Through the Jungle." Zaentz won some of his claims against Fogerty, but lost on the copyright issue (Fantasy, Inc. v. Fogerty). The judge found that a songwriter cannot plagiarize himself. [9] After winning the case, Fogerty sued Zaentz for the cost of defending himself against the copyright infringement claim. In such (copyright) cases, prevailing defendants seeking recompense were bound to show that original suit was frivolous or made in bad faith.

Fogerty v. Fantasy, Inc. became precedent when the United States Supreme Court (1993) overturned lower court rulings and awarded attorneys' fees to Fogerty, without Fogerty having to show that Zaentz's original suit was frivolous.

"Run Through the Jungle" has appeared in films such as Air America (1990), My Girl (1991), Rudy (1993), The Big Lebowski (1998), Radio Arrow (1998), Tropic Thunder (2008), The Sapphires (2012), Kong: Skull Island (2017), Triple Frontier (2019), and the trailer for Jungle Cruise (2021).

In television, the song is used in season 3 episode 1 of Hardcastle and McCormick , season 2 of Fargo, season 1 episode 8 of Lethal Weapon and season 4 episode 19 of the 2018 TV series Magnum P.I.

The song has appeared in many video games that depict the Vietnam War, notably licensed for Rising Storm 2: Vietnam and in the reveal trailer for Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War .

Cover versions

The song has been covered by The Gun Club, Bruce Springsteen, The Georgia Satellites, 8 Eyed Spy, Killdozer, Link Wray, The Cramps, Sacred Cowboys, Jeff Healey, Los Lobos, and Kamyaniy Gist.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creedence Clearwater Revival</span> American rock band

Creedence Clearwater Revival, commonly abbreviated as CCR, was an American rock band formed in El Cerrito, California. The band initially consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty; his brother, rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty; bassist Stu Cook; and drummer Doug Clifford. These members had played together since 1959, first as the Blue Velvets and later as the Golliwogs, before settling on Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1967. The band's most prolific and successful period between 1969 and 1971 produced fourteen consecutive top 10 singles and five consecutive top 10 albums in the United States – two of which, Green River (1969) and Cosmo's Factory (1970), reached number one. The band performed at the 1969 Woodstock festival in Upstate New York, and was the first major act signed to appear there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Fogerty</span> American musician (born 1945)

John Cameron Fogerty is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Together with Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, and his brother Tom Fogerty, he founded the band Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), for which he was the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter. CCR had nine top-10 singles and eight gold albums between 1968 and 1972, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saul Zaentz</span> American record company executive and film producer

Saul Zaentz was an American film producer and record company executive. He won the Academy Award for Best Picture three times and, in 1996, was awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.

<i>Cosmos Factory</i> 1970 studio album by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Cosmo's Factory is the fifth studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released by Fantasy Records in July 1970. Six of the album's eleven tracks were released as singles in 1970, and all of them charted in the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100. The album spent nine consecutive weeks in the number one position on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified 4x platinum by the RIAA in 1990.

<i>Creedence Clearwater Revival</i> (album) 1968 studio album by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater Revival is the debut studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released on July 15, 1968, by Fantasy in the US. Featuring the band's first hit single, "Susie Q", which reached number 11 in the US charts, it was recorded shortly after the band changed its name from the Golliwogs and began developing a signature swamp rock sound.

<i>Green River</i> (album) 1969 studio album by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Green River is the third studio album by American rock and roll band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released in August 1969. It was the second of three albums they released in that year, preceded by Bayou Country in January and followed by Willy and the Poor Boys in November.

<i>Willy and the Poor Boys</i> 1969 studio album by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Willy and the Poor Boys is the fourth studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released by Fantasy Records in November 1969. It was the last of three studio albums the band released that year, arriving just three months after Green River.

<i>Pendulum</i> (Creedence Clearwater Revival album) 1970 studio album by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Pendulum is the sixth studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released by Fantasy Records on December 9, 1970. It was the second studio album the band released that year, arriving five months after Cosmo's Factory.

<i>Mardi Gras</i> (album) 1972 studio album by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Mardi Gras is the seventh and final studio album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, released on April 11, 1972. Recorded after the departure of guitarist Tom Fogerty, it was the band's only studio album as a trio, and featured songs written, sung, and produced by each of the remaining members, rather than just John Fogerty. The recording sessions were marred by personal and creative tensions, and the group disbanded after a short U.S. tour to support the album.

<i>Centerfield</i> (album) 1985 studio album by John Fogerty

Centerfield is the third solo studio album by musician John Fogerty. Released in 1985, it spawned the hit singles "The Old Man Down the Road", "Rock and Roll Girls" and the title track "Centerfield". This was Fogerty's first album in nine years; After the decision not to release his Hoodoo album, Fogerty decided to take a long break from the music business because of legal battles with his record company. In the meantime, Fogerty's recording contract with Asylum Records was reassigned to co-owner Warner Bros. Records so this album was the first released on the Warner Bros. label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fortunate Son</span> 1969 single by Creedence Clearwater Revival

"Fortunate Son" is a song by the American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival released on their fourth studio album, Willy and the Poor Boys in November 1969. It was previously released as a single, together with "Down on the Corner", in September 1969. It soon became an anti-war movement anthem and an expressive symbol of the counterculture's opposition to U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War and solidarity with the soldiers fighting it. The song has been featured extensively in pop culture depictions of the Vietnam War and the anti-war movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creedence Clearwater Revisited</span> American rock band

Creedence Clearwater Revisited is an American rock band formed in 1995 by bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug "Cosmo" Clifford, former members of Creedence Clearwater Revival, to play live versions of that band's music.

Fogerty v. Fantasy, Inc., 510 U.S. 517 (1994), was a United States Supreme Court case that addressed the standards governing awards of attorneys' fees in copyright cases. The Copyright Act of 1976 authorizes, but does not require, the court to award attorneys' fees to "the prevailing party" in a copyright action. In Fogerty, the Court held that such attorneys'-fees awards are discretionary, and that the same standards should be applied in the case of a prevailing plaintiff and a prevailing defendant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Old Man Down the Road</span> 1984 single by John Fogerty

"The Old Man Down the Road" is a song by American rock artist John Fogerty. It was released in December 1984 as the lead single from Fogerty's comeback album, Centerfield. It became Fogerty's only top 10 hit single as a solo artist, peaking at number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and spending three weeks at the number-one spot on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart. Rolling Stone Album Guide critic Paul Evans regards the song as "functional swamp rock". Billboard said that it shows that Fogerty is "still able to infuse a pulsing beat with deep-swamp mysteriousness." Cash Box called it "a hard-hitting roots rocker which wastes no notes and pulls no punches."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lookin' out My Back Door</span> 1970 single by Creedence Clearwater Revival

"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 1970 album Cosmo's Factory; this was the group's fifth album, and was also their fifth and final number-two Billboard hit, held off the top by Diana Ross's version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Up Around the Bend</span> 1970 single by Creedence Clearwater Revival

"Up Around the Bend" is a song by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, written by the band's frontman John Fogerty. The song was composed and recorded only a few days prior to the band's April 1970 European tour and was included on the album Cosmo's Factory. Released as a single, with "Run Through the Jungle" on the flipside, the double-sided single climbed to number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the spring of 1970.

"Who'll Stop the Rain" is a song written by John Fogerty and originally recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival for their 1970 album Cosmo's Factory. Backed with "Travelin' Band", it was one of three double-sided singles from that album to reach the top five on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and the first of two to reach the No. 2 spot on the American charts, alongside "Lookin' Out My Back Door"/"Long As I Can See the Light". In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 188 on its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green River (song)</span> 1969 single by Creedence Clearwater Revival

"Green River" is a song by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was written by John Fogerty and released as a single in July 1969, one month before the album of the same name was released. "Green River" peaked at number two for one week, behind "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies, and was ranked by Billboard as the No. 31 song of 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock and Roll Girls</span> 1985 song by John Fogerty

"Rock and Roll Girls" is a song written by John Fogerty that was first released on his 1985 album Centerfield. It was also released as the second single from the album, backed with the title track of the album. It peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number five on the Mainstream Rock chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commotion (song)</span> 1969 single by Creedence Clearwater Revival

"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. "Fan-generated video of 'Long as I Can See the Light' honors Creedence Clearwater Revival's 50th anniversary". Goldmine. June 18, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Melissa Ursula Dawn Goldsmith (November 22, 2019). Listen to Classic Rock! Exploring a Musical Genre. ABC-CLIO. p. 79. ISBN   978-1-4408-6579-4.
  3. 1 2 Run Through The Jungle by Creedence Clearwater Revival Songfacts
  4. "John Fogerty: 'Run Through the Jungle' Plea for Gun Control". Rolling Stone . January 12, 2016.
  5. The Global Satellite Network, 60's Legends
  6. "Single Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. April 18, 1970. p. 1. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  7. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. April 18, 1970. p. 32. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  8. Wawzenek (May 28, 2013). "Top 10 John Fogerty Lyrics" . Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  9. John Fogerty News on Yahoo! Music