John Fogerty: Grateful Dead "sabotaged our chance" at Woodstock - Los Angeles Times

About the Song

John Fogerty, the enigmatic frontman of Creedence Clearwater Revival, wasn’t all about swamp rock and tales of the American heartland. In 1985, with his solo career in full swing, he released a lighter, more playful tune titled “Rock and Roll Girls.” This song serves as a delightful detour from Fogerty’s usual sonic landscape, offering a glimpse into his appreciation for a different kind of muse.

Fogerty himself has stated that the inspiration for “Rock and Roll Girls” came from watching his teenage daughter and her friends. The song isn’t about groupies or fleeting encounters, but rather a celebration of youthful energy and the undeniable allure of those captivating “rock and roll girls.”

The music reflects this carefree spirit. Upbeat guitars strum a steady rhythm, creating a sense of movement and anticipation. Fogerty’s vocals, while still retaining their signature grit, are tinged with a touch of amusement as he sings about these captivating young women. The harmonica adds a touch of folksy charm, a subtle reminder of Fogerty’s roots.

The lyrics themselves paint a picture of teenage life bathed in golden sunlight. Lines like “Ladies in the sun, listenin’ to the radio, Like flowers on the sand, a rainbow in my mind” evoke images of carefree days spent soaking up music and enjoying youthful camaraderie.

“Rock and Roll Girls” isn’t just a celebration of teenage girls, though. It’s a reminder of the transformative power of music and the way it creates a sense of belonging. The song captures the essence of those carefree days of discovering new music and forging lifelong friendships.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of “Rock and Roll Girls” is the contrast it presents to Fogerty’s usual style. Here, he sheds his persona as the chronicler of working-class struggles and embraces a lighter, more playful sound. It’s a testament to his versatility as a songwriter and his ability to connect with listeners on multiple levels.

So, crank up the volume, put on your dancing shoes, and let “Rock and Roll Girls” take you on a musical journey with John Fogerty. It’s a song that celebrates the power of music, youthful energy, and the undeniable allure of those captivating “rock and roll girls.”

At 72, John Fogerty is rockin' through the ages | The Spokesman-Review

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Lyrics: Rock and Roll Girls 

Sometimes I think life is just a rodeo
The trick is to ride and make it to the bell
But there is a place, sweet as you will ever know
In music and love and things you never tell
You see it in their face, secrets on the telephone
A time out of time, for you and no one elseHey, let’s go all over the world
Rock and roll girls, rock and roll girlsYeah, yeah, yeah

If I had my way, I’d shuffle off to Buffalo
Sit by the lake and watch the world go by
Ladies in the sun, listenin’ to the radio
Like flowers on the sand, the rainbow in my mind

Hey, let’s go all over the world
Rock and roll girls, rock and roll girls

Hey, let’s go all over the world
Rock and roll girls, rock and roll girls

Hey, let’s go all over the world
Rock and roll girls, rock and roll girls, yeah, yeah, yeah

You Missed

HE WROTE THESE WORDS AS A LIGHTHEARTED TRIBUTE TO A FRIEND — BUT NO ONE KNEW IT WOULD BECOME THE ANTHEM OF HIS FINAL BATTLE. Back in 2017, during a charity golf event at Pebble Beach, Toby Keith found himself sharing a cart with the legendary Clint Eastwood. Clint was nearing his 88th birthday, yet he was still working, still directing, and still full of life. Toby, curious about how the Hollywood icon stayed so sharp, asked for his secret. Clint’s answer was simple but profound: “I just don’t let the old man in.” Toby was so moved by that philosophy that he went straight home and turned those words into a song. When he recorded the first demo, Toby actually had a bad cold. His voice was unusually gravelly, tired, and raw. Clint heard that “imperfect” version and insisted it stay exactly that way for his 2018 movie, The Mule. Back then, it was just a quiet, soulful track that most of the world barely noticed. Everything changed in 2021 when Toby received his stomach cancer diagnosis. Suddenly, the song he wrote for Clint became the story of his own life. Those lyrics were no longer just a tribute—they became a daily prayer for strength. The world finally felt the true weight of that song in September 2023. Toby stepped onto the People’s Choice Country Awards stage to accept the Icon Award. He was visibly thinner, and his hands trembled slightly, but his spirit was unbroken. He joked about his “skinny jeans,” then he began to sing. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Overnight, a song from five years prior surged to the top of the charts. After playing his final trio of shows in Las Vegas that December, Toby peacefully passed away on February 5, 2024, at age 62. Clint Eastwood later shared a photo of them together, a final salute to his friend. Time eventually catches up to everyone, but Toby Keith showed us all how to face it with dignity, courage, and a guitar in hand. Do you remember the title of this final, powerful masterpiece by Toby Keith?

HE WAS 70, STRUGGLING TO STAND, AND THE INDUSTRY HAD ALREADY WRITTEN HIM OFF — UNTIL HE COVERED A TRACK BY A ROCK STAR HALF HIS AGE AND BROKE THE WORLD’S HEART. By 2002, Johnny Cash was a man surviving on memories. He had outlived most of his peers. His record label of nearly three decades had abandoned him. His health was a wreckage of diabetes, pneumonia, and failing nerves. There were moments in the recording booth when his producer, Rick Rubin, could hear the literal sound of a voice breaking. Then Rubin presented him with a raw, industrial rock song about the depths of depression and self-harm. Cash made one simple change — replacing a profane lyric with “crown of thorns” — and transformed a young man’s angst into his own final testament. The music video was shot inside his shuttered museum in Nashville, a place crumbling under the weight of dust and silence. June Carter was there, looking at him with an expression of profound, tragic realization. She would be gone in three months. He would follow her just four months later. When the original songwriter finally saw the footage alone one morning, he broke down. He later admitted that the song no longer belonged to him. The video went on to win a Grammy and was hailed by critics as the greatest music video ever filmed. It has been streamed hundreds of millions of times since. But its true power isn’t in the numbers or the awards. It continues to haunt us two decades later because it is the sound of a man who has stopped running from the end — a man who sat down in the fading light and finally told the absolute truth.

NO ONE KNEW WHY TOBY KEITH KEPT VISITING THE OK KIDS KORRAL EVERY WEEK DURING HIS FINAL 2 YEARS — EVEN AS HIS OWN CANCER WAS TAKING OVER… UNTIL A NURSE FINALLY TOLD THE TRUTH In 2006, Toby Keith launched a foundation for children battling cancer, inspired by the loss of his lead guitarist’s 2-year-old daughter to a tumor in 2003. By 2014, he turned that vision into reality, opening the OK Kids Korral in Oklahoma City—a sanctuary where families of pediatric patients could stay for free. Then, in 2021, the world stopped when Toby was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Yet, instead of retreating into his own pain, Toby began appearing at the Korral every week. He wasn’t there to sign autographs or put on a show. He would simply stand in the quiet hallways, watching the children go about their days. Outsiders assumed he was inspecting the building. The staff figured he was there to lift spirits. But following Toby’s passing in February 2024, a veteran nurse finally shared what really happened. She had asked him why he pushed himself to come when he was so exhausted. Toby leaned heavily against the wall and whispered: “These kids showed me how to be a warrior long before I ever had to fight for my own life. I’m just here to pay my respects—while time still allows.” The world believed Toby Keith built the Korral to rescue those children. In reality, it was those children who were quietly holding him together at the end. What remained a secret until his very last visit—just 11 days before he slipped away—was how Toby stopped in front of a single name on the memorial wall: the little girl whose story began it all two decades earlier. He stood there in total silence, longer than anyone had ever seen him stay in one place.