Down on the Corner

"Down on the Corner"
Single by Creedence Clearwater Revival
from the album Willy and the Poor Boys
B-side	Fortunate Son
Released	November 2, 1969
Format	Vinyl 45 RPM
Recorded	Fall 1969
Genre	Roots rock
Length	2:47
Label	Fantasy
Writer(s)	John Fogerty
Producer	John Fogerty
Creedence Clearwater Revival singles chronology
"Green River" (1969) "Down on the Corner" (1969) "Fortunate Son" (1969)

"Down on the Corner" is a song by the American band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It appeared on their fourth studio album, Willy and the Poor Boys (1969). The song chronicles the tale of the fictional band Willy and the Poor Boys, and how they play on street corners to cheer people up and ask for nickels. The song spent fifteen weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached a peak of number three on the chart^[1]. Incidentally, the B-side, "Fortunate Son" reached number fourteen on the same chart during the same period^[2].

The song makes reference to a gut bass in the line "Blinky thumps the gut bass and solos for a while".^[3]. In a 1969 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, the band performed the song as Willy and the Poor Boys. Stu Cook played a gut bass, which mimicked the appearance of the band as they appear on the album cover.

Covers and samples

• Jerry Reed recorded a cover of the song in the late 1970s.
• The Mavericks recorded a cover of this song on the album King of the Hill-Music From and Inspired by the TV Series.
• The rock group Big Country released a version of this song on the 2001 covers album, Under Cover.
• Adam Harvey performed a duet of this song with Leo Sayer on the Both Sides Now album.
• Beastie Boys sampled the song in the track "Time to Get Ill" from their Licensed to Ill (1986) album.
• The Goo Goo Dolls covered the song for their 1989 album Jed with Lance Diamond on vocals.
• MC Paul Barman samples the song on the track "Hot Guacamole" from the 2009 album Thought Balloon Mushroom Cloud.
• The acapella group Street Corner Symphony covered this song at the request of the judges on the TV Show "The Sing-Off."
• The rap group SFC sampled the song on the track "Can't Wait" from the 1990 album "Saved Man in the Jungle."
• Miriam Makeba offers a South African-inspired version on her 1970 album "Keep Me in Mind."
• The Osmond Brothers sang the song in the Wonderful World of Disney episode "Disneyland Showtime".

Appearances in other media

Games

• The song is available as downloadable content for the Rock Band series of music video games.

Television

• The song plays during the last scene and closing credits of The Sopranos episode, "Walk Like a Man"

References

1. ^ "Chart Listing for the Week of Jan 31 1970 (Down on the Corner)". The Billboard Hot 100. Billboard. January 31, 1970. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=379&cfgn=Singles&cfn=The+Billboard+Hot+100&ci=3070559&cdi=8837496&cid=01%2F31%2F1970. Retrieved January 16, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ "Chart Listing for the Week of Jan 31 1970 (Fortunate Son)". The Billboard Hot 100. Billboard. January 31, 1970. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=379&cfgn=Singles&cfn=The+Billboard+Hot+100&ci=3070559&cdi=8837497&cid=01%2F31%2F1970. Retrieved January 16, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ "Lyrics for 'Down on the Corner'". Metrolyrics . http://www.metrolyrics.com/down-on-the-corner-lyrics-creedence-clearwater-revival.html. Retrieved October 5, 2010.