10 Perfect Protest Songs In Rock History

For most fairweather fans of rock music, Fortunate Son is probably known more for its scene in Forest Gump than anything else. Going through most of its uses in pop culture, this song is always considered the 'Vietnam War' song, often being known to soundtrack different instances of soldiers headed off to fight. Which is sort of hilarious if you realize what the song is actually about.

As much as this song might sound like the kind of hype up song for going off to war, John Fogerty is actually singing about the hypocrisy that comes with government officials who start wars in the first place, sending the poor out to fight and only looking to save their own skin. Yeah, that fortunate son is not so much the soldiers on the battlefield, but rather the kids who's parents have a good job for them on home soil. It's pretty easy to get swept up in the lie of it all though, especially when Fogerty is calling out American-isms like waving the flag and playing Hail to the Chief towards them.

If anything, the more you listen to this song, you start to hear just how desperate he feels about the situation, as he tries to survive in a world that has decided to turn its back on him. You can put them behind as many war propaganda scenes as you want, but you might want to focus on the line "it ain't me" a little bit more.