Assignment: Reflect on one of the songs we listened to in class ("God Bless the USA," "American Solider," "Who Are They," "Fortunate Son," or "Angry American"). Write a personal reflection on what the meaning of the song, or part of the lyrics, means to you. 

By Jack Peer, Montour High School Junior

The song “Fortunate Son” has been part of my life for a very long time. Only until recent years I started to appreciate it. In fact, I have started to appreciate Creedence Clearwater Revival, the band that made the song, more and more over the last few years. This song is also my personal favorite of the band and it is definitely one of their more popular songs. Its lyrics are about an era of American history that I never personally experienced, yet I still feel a connection to it. The song is about those who are willing to fight, those who can avoid fighting, and those who fight even if they don’t want to.

I personally would fight for my country even if I had the opportunity to avoid the draft. Although, if there ever is a war that would cause great strife I will most likely volunteer before I’m drafted. One of the lyrics says “Some folks are born made to wave the flag”, to describe some of the people that willingly fight in the Vietnam War. I would consider myself to be in this group of people that are “born made to wave the flag”. This song is about both patriots and critics of the Vietnam War and I definitely feel a larger connection to the patriotic side of this song.

The song was made in a time of America’s history where the country was very divided. Some could argue our country is just as divided now as it was then, I hope our country will eventually learn from these dark times of division. The United States of America is weak when it is divided, but when it is unified, as it is meant to be, it is a shining example of what the freedom of the common people can accomplish with a democratic republic. A couple of examples of times America showed weakness were the Civil War, and the Vietnam War and both were times America showed great division. However, sometimes America showed strength in the face of danger were the Revolutionary War, World War II, and just after the 9/11 attacks and all were times Americans were unified under a common goal. This is one of the reasons I think the song, “Fortunate Son” is still relevant, besides being one of the best rock songs of all time, because it can serve as a reminder of the importance of American unity no matter what political party you have allegiance to. The United States of America must remain united!