“Bad Moon Rising” is not only one of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s (CCR) most famous songs, but it’s also a staple in the canon of rock and roll history. Written and produced solely by frontman John Fogerty, “Bad Moon” carries an important message when listening closely to the lyrics.
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Meaning Behind the Song
Fogerty was inspired by the story of The Devil and Daniel Webster, a 1941 film based on the 1936 short story of the same name. The plot follows a man named Jabez Stone, a poor farmer who makes a deal with the devil, known as Mr. Scratch, to save his land and crops, selling his soul in the process. Chaos ensues throughout the film, including an offer from the devil to extend the deal in exchange for the soul of Stone’s son.
Fogerty says the imagery in the song is based on that of the film, stemming from one scene in particular. “At one point in the movie, there was a huge hurricane,” Fogerty recalled to Rolling Stone in 1993. “Everybody’s crops and houses are destroyed. Boom. Right next door is the guy’s field who made the deal with the devil, and his corn is still straight up six feet. That image was in my mind. I went, ‘Holy mackerel!'”
It’s clear how said scene translates into the foreboding lyrics as Fogerty sings, I hear hurricanes a-blowin’ / I know the end is comin’ soon / I fear rivers over flowin’ / I hear the voice of rage and ruin. Though the song is based on the story of Daniel Webster, Fogerty reveals that the meaning of the lyrics is really about the apocalyptic predictions taking place throughout the 1960s and ’70s.
“My song wasn’t about Mr. Scratch, and it wasn’t about the deal. It was about the apocalypse that was going to be visited upon us,” the singer shared. “It wasn’t until the band was learning the song that I realized the dichotomy. Here you got this song with all these hurricanes and blowing and raging ruin and all that, but it’s, I see a bad moon rising. It’s a happy-sounding tune, right? It didn’t bother me at the time.”
Despite its ominous nature, “Bad Moon Rising” went on to become one of CCR’s iconic hits, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the UK Singles chart, as well as other countries around the world. The song is so popular that it’s been covered by several artists across decades, including Bruce Springsteen, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Emmylou Harris.
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