© Getty Images / Getty Images for the Capitol concerts; MANDEL NGAN / AFP via Getty Images
John Fogerty, who wrote “Fortunate Son,” responded in a video about President Trump using the song at a recent rally. Getty Images / Getty Images for the Capitol concerts; MANDEL NGAN / AFP via Getty Images

• President Trump arrived on Thursday for a campaign rally in Freeland, Michigan, leaving Air Force One to the 1969 Creedence Clearwater Revival song “Fortunate Son.”
• John Fogerty, the musician who wrote the song, reacted on Friday to Trump’s use of his song in a Facebook video.
• “This is a song that I could write now, so it confuses me, I would say that the president decided to use my song for his political rallies, when in fact it seems that he is probably a lucky son,” said Fogerty …
• Other musicians, such as Neil Young and the late Tom Petty’s family, have criticized the use of their music at Trump-sponsored events.
• Visit the Insider homepage to find out more…

President Donald Trump led a campaign rally in Freeland, Michigan on Thursday, and retired from Air Force One to 1969’s “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival…

The song refers to wealthy and powerful families who were able to get their sons out of the draft in the Vietnam War.

John Fogerty, rock musician who was a member of the Creedence Clearwater Revival and wrote “Fortunate Son” shared a video on Facebook on Friday an appeal to the use of the song by the Trump campaign.

“The president recently used my song ‘Fortunate Son’ for his political rallies, which is confusing to say the least,” Fogerty said in the video.

In his video, Fogerty also sheds light on the meaning song lyrics, which includes:

“Some people are born with a silver spoon in their hands / Lord, don’t they help themselves, no” and “This is not me, this is not me / I am not the son of a millionaire.”

“I wrote this song in 1969, at the height of the Vietnam War,” Fogerty said. “By the time I wrote the song, I had already been drafted and served in the army. And all my life I have supported our boys and girls in the army, probably because of that experience, of course. “

Fogerty continued in his video, saying, “In those days we still had a draft, and what made me very upset was what privileged people, in other words, wealthy people or people in position, could use to avoid the draft and don’t get into the army. I was very upset that this could happen, and therefore I wrote “Lucky Son.”

© Getty Images / Getty Images for Capitol concerts
John Fogerty speaks on the 40th Anniversary of the Fourth Capitol PBS on July 4, 2020 in Washington, DC. Getty Images / Getty Images for the Capitol concerts

He then noted the song’s opening verses: “Some people are born to wave the flag / Oh, their red, white and blue / And when the band plays“ Hail to the Chief ”/ Oh, they point a cannon at you. “

In his video, Fogerty compared the opening lines of Lucky Son with Trump uses federal troops to remove protesters from a June demonstration at Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C.so that he can stand in front of St. John’s Church and hold a Bible for a photo opportunity.

“This is a song that I could write now, so it confuses me, I would say that the president decided to use my song for his political rallies, when in fact it seems that he is probably a lucky son,” said Fogerty ending the video.

Other musicians have reacted or criticized the use of their songs at Trump campaign events.

In June, the family of the late rock musician Tom Petty denounced the apparent use of his cult song “I Won’t Back Down” in Trump campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma…

The Petty family tweeted that they issued an order to end the Trump campaign.

—Tom Petty (@tompetty) June 21, 2020

In July, singer-songwriter Neil Young tweeted that he is “out of order” when his music is played at the Trump Independence Day event. on Mount Rushmore. Young’s songs “Rockin ‘in the Free World” and “Like a Hurricane” apparently played at the president’s event.

Since his first presidential campaign, Trump has prompted a number of other musicians to take a problem with their songs being played at his events or made statements asking Trump’s campaign not to use their music.

Gallery: Musicians Who Banned Presidential Candidates from Using Their Songs (Entertainment Weekly)