DJ Allyn – The Soundtrack for my Life

Long As I Can See The Light – Creedence Clearwater Revival  

Originally formed as The Golliwoggs in 1959, Creedence Clearwater Revival consisted of singer, lead guitarist, and primary writer John Fogerty, rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, bass player Stu Cook, and drummer Doug Clifford. Their musical style encompassed rock and roll and so-called swamp rock genres. The band’s songs are often cited as examples of patriotic, liberal American protest songs, and of good-time roots rock.

In 1967, they were offered a chance to record a full-length album, but only if the band changed their name. Not really liking The Golliwogs, the foursome readily agreed.

The band took the three elements from Creedence Nuball, a friend of Tom Fogerty; “clear water”, from a TV commercial for Olympia beer; and revival, which spoke to the four members’ renewed commitment to their band. (Other contenders were Muddy Rabbit, Gossamer Wump, and Creedence Nuball and the Ruby.)

Long As I Can See The Light

Put a candle in the window, ’cause I feel I’ve got to move.
Though I’m going, going, I’ll be coming home soon,
long as I can see the light.

Pack my bag and let’s get movin’, ’cause I’m bound to drift a while.
When I’m gone, gone, you don’t have to worry long,
long as I can see the light.

Guess I’ve got that old trav’lin bone, ’cause this feelin’ won’t leave me alone.
But I won’t, won’t be losin’ my way, no, no
long as I can see the light.

Yeah! yeah! yeah! oh, yeah!

Put a candle in the window, ’cause I feel I’ve got to move.
Though I’m going, going, I’ll be coming home soon,
Long as I can see the light.
Long as I can see the light.
Long as I can see the light.
Long as I can see the light.
Long as I can see the light.

• Audio from the 1970 album, Cosmo’s Factory:

Down on the Corner – Creedence Clearwater Revival  

Originally formed as The Golliwoggs in 1959, Creedence Clearwater Revival consisted of singer, lead guitarist, and primary writer John Fogerty, rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, bass player Stu Cook, and drummer Doug Clifford. Their musical style encompassed rock and roll and so-called swamp rock genres. The band’s songs are often cited as examples of patriotic, liberal American protest songs, and of good-time roots rock.

In 1967, they were offered a chance to record a full-length album, but only if the band changed their name. Not really liking The Golliwogs, the foursome readily agreed.

The band took the three elements from Creedence Nuball, a friend of Tom Fogerty; “clear water”, from a TV commercial for Olympia beer; and revival, which spoke to the four members’ renewed commitment to their band. (Other contenders were Muddy Rabbit, Gossamer Wump, and Creedence Nuball and the Ruby.)

Down on the Corner

Early in the evenin’ just about supper time,
Over by the courthouse they’re starting to unwind.
Four kids on the corner trying to bring you up.
Willy picks a tune out and he blows it on the harp.

Down On The Corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin’;
Bring a nickel; tap your feet.

Rooster hits the washboard and people just got to smile,
Blinky, thumps the gut bass and solos for a while.
Poorboy twangs the rhythm out on his kalamazoo.
Willy goes into a dance and doubles on kazoo.

Down On The Corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin’;
Bring a nickel; tap your feet.

Down On The Corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin’;
Bring a nickel; tap your feet.

You don’t need a penny just to hang around,
But if you’ve got a nickel, won’t you lay your money down?
Over on the corner there’s a happy noise.
People come from all around to watch the magic boys.

Down On The Corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin’;
Bring a nickel; tap your feet.

Down On The Corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin’;
Bring a nickel; tap your feet.

Down On The Corner, out in the street,
Willy and the Poorboys are playin’;
Bring a nickel; tap your feet.

• Audio from the 1969 album, Willy and the Poor Boys:

Midnight Special – Creedence Clearwater Revival  

Originally formed as The Golliwoggs in 1959, Creedence Clearwater Revival consisted of singer, lead guitarist, and primary writer John Fogerty, rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, bass player Stu Cook, and drummer Doug Clifford. Their musical style encompassed rock and roll and so-called swamp rock genres. The band’s songs are often cited as examples of patriotic, liberal American protest songs, and of good-time roots rock.

In 1967, they were offered a chance to record a full-length album, but only if the band changed their name. Not really liking The Golliwogs, the foursome readily agreed.

The band took the three elements from Creedence Nuball, a friend of Tom Fogerty; “clear water”, from a TV commercial for Olympia beer; and revival, which spoke to the four members’ renewed commitment to their band. (Other contenders were Muddy Rabbit, Gossamer Wump, and Creedence Nuball and the Ruby.)

Midnight Special

“Midnight Special” is a traditional folk song thought to have originated among prisoners in the American South^. The title comes from the refrain which refers to the Midnight Special and its “ever-loving light” (sometimes “ever-living light”).

The song is historically performed in the country-blues style from the viewpoint of the prisoner. The song has been covered by many different artists.

Lyrics appearing in the song were first recorded in print by Howard Odum in 1905:

Get up in the mornin’ when ding dong rings,
Look at table—see the same damn thing.

In 1934 Huddie William “Lead Belly” Ledbetter recorded a version of the song at Angola Prison for John and Alan Lomax, who mistakenly attributed it to him as the author. However, Ledbetter, instead, for his Angola session, appears to have inserted several stanzas relating to a 1923 Houston jailbreak into the traditional song.^[10] Ledbetter recorded at least three versions of the song, one with the Golden Gate Quartet, a slick gospel group.

John and Alan Lomax, in their book, Best Loved American Folk Songs, told a credulous story identifying the Midnight Special as a train from Houston shining its light into a cell in the Sugar Land Prison. They also describe Ledbetter’s version as “the Negro jailbird’s ballad to match Hard Times Poor Boy. Like so many American folk songs, its hero is not a man but a train.” The light of the train is seen as the light of salvation, the train which could take them away from the prison walls. It is highly reminiscent of the imagery of such gospel songs as Let the Light from your Lighthouse Shine on Me. Carl Sandburg had a different view. He believed the subject of the song would rather be ran over by a train than spend more time in jail.

The song, as popularized by Ledbetter, has many parallel lines to other prison songs. It is essentially the same song as “De Funiac Blues,” sung and played by Burruss Johnson and recorded by John Lomax at the Raiford State Penitentiary in Florida on June 2, 1939. Many of the lines appear in prison work songs such as “Jumpin Judy,” “Ain’t That Berta,” “Oh Berta” and “Yon’ Comes de Sargent.” These songs, including Ledbetter’s “Midnight Special.” are composite. They mix standard prison song verses indiscriminately. Many of these component pieces have become canonized in the blues idiom and appear in mutated forms regularly in blues lyrics.

Although later versions place the locale of the song near Houston, early versions such as Walk Right In Belmont (Wilmer Watts; Frank Wilson, 1927) and North Carolina Blues (Roy Martin, 1930)—both essentially the same song as Midnight Special—place it in North Carolina. Most of the early versions, however, have no particular location. Only one recording, collected by the Lomaxes at the Mississippi State Penitentiary, actually identifies the train operating the Midnight Special— the Illinois Central which had a route through Mississippi.

Well, you wake up in the mornin’, you hear the work bell ring,
And they march you to the table to see the same old thing.
Ain’t no food upon the table, and no pork up in the pan.
But you better not complain, boy, you get in trouble with the man.

Let the Midnight Special shine ‘er light on me,
Let the Midnight Special shine ‘er light on me,
Let the Midnight Special shine ‘er light on me,
Let the Midnight Special shine ‘er everlovin’ light on me.

Yonder come miss Rosie, how in the world did you know?
By the way she wears her apron, and the clothes she wore.
Umbrella on her shoulder, piece of paper in her hand;
She come to see the gov’nor, she wants to free her man.

Let the Midnight Special shine ‘er light on me,
Let the Midnight Special shine ‘er light on me,
Let the Midnight Special shine ‘er light on me,
Let the Midnight Special shine ‘er everlovin’ light on me.

If you’re ever in Houston, well, you better do the right;
You better not gamble, there, you better not fight, at all
Or the sheriff will grab ya and the boys will bring you down.
The next thing you know, boy, Oh! You’re prison bound.

Let the Midnight Special shine ‘er light on me,
Let the Midnight Special shine ‘er light on me,
Let the Midnight Special shine ‘er light on me,
Let the Midnight Special shine ‘er everlovin’ light on me.

Let the Midnight Special shine ‘er light on me,
Let the Midnight Special shine ‘er light on me,
Let the Midnight Special shine ‘er light on me,
Let the Midnight Special shine ‘er everlovin’ light on me.

Lodi ~ Creedence Clearwater Revival  

Originally formed as The Golliwoggs in 1959, Creedence Clearwater Revival consisted of singer, lead guitarist, and primary writer John Fogerty, rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, bass player Stu Cook, and drummer Doug Clifford. Their musical style encompassed rock and roll and so-called swamp rock genres. The band’s songs are often cited as examples of patriotic, liberal American protest songs, and of good-time roots rock.

In 1967, they were offered a chance to record a full-length album, but only if the band changed their name. Not really liking The Golliwogs, the foursome readily agreed.

The band took the three elements from Creedence Nuball, a friend of Tom Fogerty; “clear water”, from a TV commercial for Olympia beer; and revival, which spoke to the four members’ renewed commitment to their band. (Other contenders were Muddy Rabbit, Gossamer Wump, and Creedence Nuball and the Ruby.)

Lodi

Just about a year ago, I set out on the road,
Seekin’ my fame and fortune, lookin’ for a pot of gold.
Things got bad, and things got worse, I guess you will know the tune.
Oh ! Lord, stuck in Lodi again.
Rode in on the Greyhound, I’ll be walkin’ out if I go.
I was just passin’ through, must be seven months or more.
Ran out of time and money, looks like they took my friends.
Oh ! Lord, I’m stuck in Lodi again.

The man from the magazine said I was on my way.
Somewhere I lost connections, ran out of songs to play.
I came into town, a one night stand, looks like my plans fell through
Oh ! Lord, stuck in Lodi again.

Mmmm…
If I only had a dollar, for ev’ry song I’ve sung.
And ev’ry time I’ve had to play while people sat there drunk.
You know, I’d catch the next train back to where I live.
Oh ! Lord, I’m stuck in Lodi again.
Oh ! Lord, I’m stuck in Lodi again.

Looking Out My Back Door ~ Creedence Clearwater Revival  

Originally formed as The Golliwoggs in 1959, Creedence Clearwater Revival consisted of singer, lead guitarist, and primary writer John Fogerty, rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, bass player Stu Cook, and drummer Doug Clifford. Their musical style encompassed rock and roll and so-called swamp rock genres. The band’s songs are often cited as examples of patriotic, liberal American protest songs, and of good-time roots rock.

In 1967, they were offered a chance to record a full-length album, but only if the band changed their name. Not really liking The Golliwogs, the foursome readily agreed.

The band took the three elements from Creedence Nuball, a friend of Tom Fogerty; “clear water”, from a TV commercial for Olympia beer; and revival, which spoke to the four members’ renewed commitment to their band. (Other contenders were Muddy Rabbit, Gossamer Wump, and Creedence Nuball and the Ruby.)

Looking Out My Back Door

Just got home from Illinois, lock the front door, oh boy!
Got to sit down, take a rest on the porch.
Imagination sets in, pretty soon I’m singing,

Doo, doo, doo, Looking out my back door.

There’s a giant doing cartwheels,
A statue wearing high heels.
Look at all the happy creatures dancing on the lawn.
A dinosaur Victrola listening to Buck Owens.

Doo, doo, doo, Looking out my back door.

Tambourines and elephants are playing in the band.
Won’t you take a ride on the flying spoon?
Doo, doo doo.
Wond’rous apparition provided by magician.

Doo, doo, doo, Looking out my back door.

Tambourines and elephants are playing in the band.
Won’t you take a ride on the flying spoon?
Doo, doo doo.
Bother me tomorrow, today, I’ll buy no sorrows.

Doo, doo, doo, Looking out my back door.

Forward troubles Illinois, lock the front door, oh boy!
Look at all the happy creatures dancing on the lawn.
Bother me tomorrow, today, I’ll buy no sorrows.

Doo, doo, doo, Looking out my back door.