"Fortunate Son" is one of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s most iconic songs—full of grit, power, and protest. Here’s a breakdown:

🎵 About the Song

• Title: Fortunate Son
• Artist: Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR)
• Released: 1969
• Album: Willy and the Poor Boys
• Writer: John Fogerty

💬 What’s It About?

Fortunate Son is a fiery protest song against class privilege and the Vietnam War. It criticizes how the sons of wealthy and powerful families often avoided being drafted into the war, while working-class Americans were sent to fight.

Lines like:

"It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son..."
and
"It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one..."
hammer that point home.

It’s not anti-soldier—it’s anti-system, calling out the unfairness in who was being sent off to war.

🎸 Musically

• Classic swamp rock sound
• Gritty vocals from John Fogerty
• Catchy, driving guitar riff that’s instantly recognizable
• Urgent rhythm that matches the song’s passionate message

🌎 Impact

• Became a major anthem for the anti-war movement
• Still resonates today as a protest song against inequality
• Frequently used in movies, shows, and video games (like Forrest Gump, Call of Duty, etc.)

The zip file below contains the Guitar Pro file for this riff and the PDF of the tab as well.