Keep On Chooglin' (song)

"Keep On Chooglin'" is a song written by John Fogerty that was first released as the final song on Creedence Clearwater Revival's 1969 album Bayou Country. The song was often used to close Creedence Clearwater Revival concerts and was later covered by several other artists including Fogerty as a solo artist. The song popularized the neologism "chooglin'."

"Keep On Chooglin'"
Song by Creedence Clearwater Revival
from the album Bayou Country
ReleasedJanuary 1969
RecordedOctober 1968
GenreSwamp rock, rock and roll
Length7:43
LabelFantasy Records
Songwriter(s)John Fogerty
Producer(s)John Fogerty

Lyrics and music

According to John Fogerty, he began working on "Keep On Chooglin'" (as well as "Born on the Bayou" and "Proud Mary," which also appeared on Bayou Country) during his time in the US Army Reserves.[1] He continued working on those songs after his discharge and throughout most of 1968, during which time he came up with the idea to cross-reference the songs as part of a "swamp bayou myth."[1][2]

John Fogerty biographer Thomas M. Kitts describes "Keep On Chooglin'" as "an energetic rave."[3] The song builds into a boogie as John Fogerty plays variations on the opening guitar riff and incorporates solos on his harmonica.[3] John Fogerty claims that some of his guitar playing on "Keep on Chooglin'" is based on the playing of Charlie Christian.[4] Kitts describes Doug Clifford's drums as "pounding," Stu Cook's bass guitar as "thumping" and Tom Fogerty's rhythm guitar chords as "slashing."[3] Music writer Steven L. Hamelman praises Clifford's drumming on the song as "a brilliant groove, never wavering."[3]

The song popularized the term "chooglin', which may have been invented by Fogerty."[5][6] The lyrics tell the listener that he or she should "keep on chooglin'."[5] John Fogerty explained the term chooglin' as "what happens when 'you got to ball and have a good time.'"[5] Similar to Fogerty's explanation, Cook viewed chooglin' as a metaphor for sex.[3] Lyrics of the song such as "Here comes Louie, works in the sewer, he gonna choogle tonight" imply that chooglin' is especially done by the working class, but other lyrics such as "if you can choose it, who can refuse it, y'all be chooglin' tonight" imply that everyone can choogle.[5] Clifford described the message to keep on chooglin' as inspirational, "It means keep on going, keep on truckin'. Things may be bad and look bleak, but believe in yourself, pull up the old bootstraps and get the job done."[3] According to Village Voice critic Robert Christgau, the verb "choogle" "has more to do with vigor than with potency, more to do with simple activity than with sexuality."[5]

"Keep On Chooglin'" has some relationship to "Bootleg," another song from Bayou Country in that the singer appears to be a marginalized figure.[3] The two songs also share similar riffs, and were both designed as "concert ravers."[2][7] "Keep On Chooglin'" and "Bootleg" (as well as some other Creedence songs) were both used to demonstrate the similarities between different songs as part of Fogerty's defense in the lawsuit brought against him by Fantasy Records, in which Fantasy claimed that Fogerty's solo song "The Old Man Down the Road" copied the melody from "Run Through the Jungle," a song which Fantasy held the rights to.[8] "Keep On Chooglin'" also relates to several other songs on Bayou Country as one of several songs that maintain an illusion that the band is from the Louisiana backwoods, a group that also includes "Born on the Bayou," "Proud Mary" and "Graveyard Train."[9][10]

Creedence Clearwater Revival often used "Keep On Chooglin'" as their final song in live concerts.[3] Although the album version lasted a little under 8 minutes, in concert the song could extend for more than 15 minutes.[3] Live versions have been included on several Creedence Clearwater Revival live albums, including Live in Europe, The Concert and Live at Woodstock.[11][12][13]

"Keep On Chooglin'" was included on the soundtrack of the 1980 Art Linson film Where the Buffalo Roam[14][15] and on the compilation album The Long Road Home.[16]

Cover versions

John Fogerty has frequently played "Keep On Chooglin'" in his live solo concerts.[17][18][19] Versions have been included on several of his albums, including The Long Road Home – In Concert and 50 Year Trip: Live at Red Rocks, as well as a special edition of Revival.[20][21][22] The Hammersmith Gorillas covered "Keep On Chooglin'" on their 1999 album Gorilla Got Me.[23] Lee Benoit covered it on his 2000 album Dis 'N' Dat.[24]

References
  1. Miller, Stephen Paul (2013). "Reviving the Pre-Sixties: Creedence on a Sixties/Seventies Cusp". In Kitts, Thomas M. (ed.). Finding Fogerty: Interdisciplinary Readings of John Fogerty and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780739174852.
  2. Bordowitz, Hank (2007). Bad Moon Rising: The Unauthorized History of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Chicago Review Press. pp. 51, 55. ISBN 9781569769843.
  3. Kitts, Thomas M. (2015). John Fogerty: An American Son. Routledge. pp. 84, 128, 134. ISBN 9781317961260.
  4. Fogerty, John (2016). Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music. Back Bay Books. p. 48. ISBN 9780316244589.
  5. Gray, Christopher (April 18, 2007). "To Choogle or Not to Choogle". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
  6. Décharné, Max (2016). Vulgar Tongues: An Alternative History of English Slang. Serpent's Tail. ISBN 9781847659415.
  7. Rezos, Ray (March 2, 1973). "Bayou Country". Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
  8. "Singer Fogerty Fights Lawsuit". St. Cloud Times. October 28, 1988. p. 2. Retrieved 2019-12-24 – via newspapers.com.
  9. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Bayou Country". Allmusic. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
  10. Goldberg, Michael. "Fortunate Son: John Fogerty - The 1993 Rolling Stone Interview". Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
  11. Eder, Bruce. "Live in Europe". Allmusic. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
  12. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Concert". Allmusic. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
  13. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Live at Woodstock". Allmusic. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
  14. "A Long and Littered Ether Trail". The Age. January 3, 1986. p. 27. Retrieved 2019-12-24 – via newspapers.com.
  15. Rolland, David (October 29, 2013). "Best Uses of Creedence Clearwater Revival Songs in Movies and Television". Broward Palm Beach New Times. Retrieved 2019-12-30.
  16. https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-long-road-home-the-ultimate-john-fogerty-creedence-collection-mw0000349198
  17. Dedekker, Jeff (July 31, 2015). "Fogerty@70". Leader-Post. p. 17. Retrieved 2019-12-24 – via newspapers.com.
  18. Chamberlain, Adrian (September 27, 2012). "Fogerty Keeps on Chooglin'". Times Colonist. p. 47. Retrieved 2019-12-24 – via newspapers.com.
  19. Griwkowsky, Fish (November 24, 2014). "Fogerty Keeps Chooglin' Like It's 1969". Edmonton Journal. p. 23. Retrieved 2019-12-24 – via newspapers.com.
  20. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Long Road Home – In Concert". Allmusic. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
  21. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "50 Year Trip: Live at Red Rocks". Allmusic. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
  22. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Revival". Allmusic. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
  23. Pettipas, Keith. "Gorilla Got Me". Allmusic. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
  24. "Dis 'N' Dat". Allmusic. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
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