Written by: John Fogerty
Released: 1970

US Charts: #8
UK Charts: #36
Other Charts: N/A

Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) is one of the great bands of the late 60s and early 70s and during their relatively short period of existence (5 years), they produced a string of hits, many of which are still stamples of classic rock music stations today. Today, I’ve chosen to feature my favourite song of theirs, “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?”, simply because I have not able to get it out of my mind today. Maybe it’s because today has been a hot summer’s day, that I’ve been wondering about whether rain will ever be seen again. I have no idea why.

CCR’s music has been described as “roots rock” and many other descriptions, but what you do notice when listening to their music is that they are vastly different to any other rock band. It is different but also very distinct making their music memorable and instantly recognizable. “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?” was one of their last major hits and has been interpreted in many ways over the years.

Some have said that the statement “Have you ever seen the rain?” refers to the Vietnam War at the time and bombs falling from the sky. However, CCR was not a band that expressed their political opinions in their songs, the only exception being “Fortunate Son.” The lead singer and writer of the song, John Fogerty, himself stated the song is simply about the rising tensions in the band and the imminent departure of his brother Tom from the band. CCR would be no longer barely a year after the release of this song, so his explanation is probably fitting.

Nevertheless, you can interpret the song any way you wish. Different interpretations give different meanings to different people. For me, it was simply that it was hot sticky summer’s day and that it made me wonder whether I would see the rain. Then I thought about those people who live in arid or desert climates where the sight of rain is few and far between. This kind of meaning makes this song special to me. You may attach a different, more personal meaning. I don’t know. What I do know is that this song is a classic that will remain so for decades to come. Enjoy!

Lyrics can be accessed here.

Chords can be accessed here.

Feel free to comment on this song and/or my review below.

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Written by: Don Henley, Glenn Frey & J.D Souther
Released: 1976

US Charts: #1 (1 week)
UK Charts: #20
Other Charts: N/A

Smooth, soothing, relaxing, simply beautiful. All are adjectives that could be used to describe this great Eagles song. The highlight and strength of this song is the arrangement of the singers’ voices throughout. It was not an easy arrangement to make but it certainly turned out to be pretty much perfect. In fact, this song won the Eagles the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement for Voices in 1977. Even though this category has since been removed from the Grammy Awards, it is still a great recognition of the glorious arrangement of voices this song presents. Simply outstanding!

I know what you are all thinking right now, “not another Eagles song.” I’m not hiding from the fact that I love the Eagles, in fact, I was trying to resist writing about this song today and tried to focus on another song. It came to no avail so I thought that I should just spill the beans now with this post.

Lyrics-wise, the song deals with the idea of an impostor entering town aka a new kid, and how the entire town likes him but at the same time they follow him and watch his every move. This leads to a certain degree of fame for the new kid but at the same time the town talks behind his back causing some uncertainty. However, this fame will only last until a newer kid enters town and takes over the current new kid.

This song became the band’s 3rd number 1 hit in the US and charted in the top 20 in the UK. I’m unaware of how it fared in other countries, so if you do know, please let me know by writing a comment down below.

While I’ve been focusing on the arrangement of the voices, I’m almost forgotten to mention the guitar playing going towards the end of the song. They are simply spectacular and just sound perfect for the song. You really can’t fault their sound or their position in the song. The last singing of the chorus and fade out is simply wonderful and really lets out all the tension and emotion that had been building during the song.

It’s my dream to write a song as good or even better than this song. This song is one of the songs that I’ve set as a benchmark in quality songwriting and composing. I hope this song inspires you to do the same, because this song is what good music is all about. If only there were more songs like these. Enjoy!

Lyrics can be accessed here.

Chords can be accessed here.

Feel free to comment on this song and/or my review below.

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Written by: Don Henley & Glenn Frey
Released: 1975

US Charts: #1 (1 week)
UK Charts: #23
Other Charts: N/A

If there was a song that epitomised procrastination in under 5 minutes, it is this song. The title itself gives a clear indication that someone is continuously putting something off in their life. In the case of this song, songwriter Glenn Frey said that it was about putting off many things in life such as romance, buying a house, making money etc.

Maybe it’s because many people could associate with the meaning of this song that it went straight to number 1 in the US in 1975. Whatever the reason, it has a nice, easy-to-follow tune throughout, which is both enticing and memorable.

The first thing that struck me when hearing this song for the first time was the somewhat unusual intro, which I didn’t expect from a rock band. However, as soon as the verse melody begins, you begin to realise that it was a perfect buildup to the rest of the song.

This was the first Eagles song I heard and as a result I dug through the entire Eagles’ catalogue and began to appreciate the Eagles for what they are: a legendary rock band. I’d heard of the Eagles years before, but I’d never researched their material. I now regret not doing it earlier.

If you have never heard an Eagles song, you will certainly enjoy this one and be inspired to dig through their other songs. Not to mention, you might play this song every time you feel that you are procrastinating. “One of the Nights” is one of the Eagles’ signature songs and truly shows their immense creative talent at the peak of their powers. Enjoy!

Lyrics can be accessed here.

Chords can be accessed here.

Feel free to comment on this song and/or my critique below.

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