Down on the Corner

At Creedence Clearwater Revival's peak, singer-songwriter John Fogerty uncorked a pretty astonishing series of hit singles that were roughly equally divided between serious social statements and more basic celebratory party tunes. Of the more fun rock'n'rollers he devised, "Down on the Corner" was one of the best, reaching #3 as half of a double-sided hit single (with "Fortunate Son") in late 1969. The cornerstone, as it were, of "Down on the Corner" is its low funky guitar riff, bluesy but not straight blues, which kicks off the song and is repeated (sometimes in different keys) throughout the tune. In the opening instrumental section, it's doubled by a funky shuffling drum part -- one of Doug Clifford's most underrated contributions to the band's discography -- as well as a choppy guitar chording away very much like patterns heard in soul and funk songs of the era. There's a little more white rock and pop in the melody than there were in many late-1960s soul-funk songs, though. Lyrically, Fogerty captures perfectly the ambience of kids jamming away with more spirit than financial resources on a street corner, much like the band do on the cover of the album on which the song appeared, Willy and the Poor Boys. The gospel singalong traits of many a Creedence song come out in force on the harmonized chorus, as an ideal setting for the tapping of the feet on the corner as guys play for tips pictured by the words.