The Cultural Impact of CCR’s ‘Bad Moon Rising’ Through the Decades

In April 1969, American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) released “Bad Moon Rising” as the lead single from their album Green River. Written by the band’s frontman, John Fogerty, the song quickly gained popularity, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and securing the top spot on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in September 1969. With its upbeat melody juxtaposed against lyrics foretelling ominous events, “Bad Moon Rising” has become one of CCR’s most enduring and iconic tracks.

Bad Moon Rising

Inspiration from Cinema: John Fogerty was inspired to write “Bad Moon Rising” after watching the 1941 film The Devil and Daniel Webster. A particular scene depicting a devastating hurricane sparked the imagery of impending doom present in the song’s lyrics.

Chart Success: Despite its dark lyrical content, the song’s catchy tune propelled it to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, making it CCR’s second gold single.

Misheard Lyric: A common mondegreen associated with the song is the mishearing of the line “There’s a bad moon on the rise” as “There’s a bathroom on the right.” Embracing this, Fogerty has been known to sing the misheard lyric during live performances.

Cultural Appearances: “Bad Moon Rising” has been featured in various films, notably in An American Werewolf in London (1981) and Twilight Zone: The Movie (1982), underscoring its lasting influence in popular culture.

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