Wrote a Song For Everyone

[Admin]

Review by J. Fogerty
Inspired by my young wife at the time. It was early 69, and I was 23 years-old. We had our first child, who, at the time, was two and a half. I was sitting in my room, writing the songs, pushing my career. Without the songs, the career ends. You might be a great band, but without the songs, you're not going anywhere. At one point, my wife and I had a mild misunderstanding, I wouldn't even call it a fight. She was miffed, taking our young son out, wishing I'd be a little bit more involved. But there I was, the musician manic and possessed the only guy holding things up. Without me, it all collapses, so I'm feeling quite put upon. As she walks out the door, I say to myself, "I wrote a song for everyone, and I couldn't even talk to you." I looked at my piece of paper and changed gears. How many great leaders can't even manage their own families? So I went with that. "Pharaohs spin the message/Round and round and true/Richmond's about to blow up, referring to nearby Richmond, California. It was actually a true emotion that took on a larger meaning. It's still a special song in the sense that it keeps my feet on the ground. You sit and write these songs, yet you try to talk to your own son and daughter and maybe you're totally inadequate, trying to explain life to a child. We used to record our albums very quickly and I remember finishing five different songs in one afternoon. The fifth one didn't work, and that was "Wrote a Song for Everyone." I had to start over on that one.