FILE - John Fogerty performs at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans on May 5, 2019. Fogerty is among several musicians who are objecting to their songs being used at President Donald Trump's campaign rallies. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)

John Fogerty, a hall of fame rock star from the 70’s and 80’s, is one of those time-worn characters from straight out of the pages of rock & roll’s glory days. As a performing artist, he is as American as baseball, apple pie, and the 4th of July. Across the years, the songs that he has written and taken to the top of the charts have become a key thread in the fabric of American culture. “Proud Mary,” “Fortunate Son,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” and “Green River” are just a few samplings from Fogerty’s rich catalogue of songs.

CCR broke up many years ago, leaving a littered trail of messy law suits, counter suits, and bitter personal feelings behind. However, with his distinctive gritty swamp rock sound that he has always married to poignant lyrics, John Fogerty has bounced off the bottom and has, as a solo artist, continued to craft material that outdistances and eclipses his legacy as the voice of Creedence Clearwater Revival.

His talent as a songwriter has never stopped expanding, and has stretched out across the decades. So when all is said and done, perhaps the one thing that differentiates and sets CCR’s former front man, lead singer-guitarist, and principle songwriter apart from the rest of the aging rock star pack is the undeniable fact that, in the 21st century, John Fogerty is still a valued and relevant artist. What he puts out there still strikes a chord in people from across many different generations.

Last month he released the single “Weeping in the Promised Land” along with an accompanying video. Across his long career, Fogerty has never been shy about using his music to address controversies, and “Weeping in the Promised Land” is no exception. In this latest offering, he holds a mirror up to the deep political division that has nearly ripped America apart over the course of the last four years.

With this latest song, his thoughtful lyrics shine a sobering light on the face that America shows to the world in these times. In words that are tinged with a deep feeling of sorrow, he ponders the current state of our country in the aftermath of the killing of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the social and political upheaval that has paralyzed and polarized the nation. Fogerty cries out in frustration and anger as he tries hard to make any sense out of former President Donald Trump fostering a climate of rage, hate, anger and violence that has fractured the very foundation of the American political system. The singer speaks passionately about nurses who are in tears, and about “a well poisoned by lies.” A clear lyrical broadside at the former president’s lies and mishandling of the Covid pandemic.

Abandoning his traditional gritty southern rock voice, he employs a new vocal styling that is a more basic, no frills gospel style of singing to deliver “Weeping in the Promised Land.” Holding a light up to Trump’s very public, and often unkind, disagreements with Doctor Anthony Fauci and the healthcare workers on the frontlines of the war against the virus, Fogerty refers to the former president as being a, “forked-tongued Pharaoh.” He sings out, “He dances on their bones. Pharaoh shouting down the medicine man. With dread in their eyes, all the nurses are crying. Everywhere sorrow, everywhere dying.” Of the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd at the hands of white police officers, events that were a catalyst that ignited an explosion of protests across the nation, the singer’s voice echoes a palpable sadness and despair. He laments the killing of Taylor with, “Pharaoh’s army knockin’ on the door. Weeping in the Promised Land. Shoot you in your bed just like they did the time before.” Of George Floyd his take is, “Out in the street, on your neck with a knee. All the people are cryin’ your last words, ‘I can’t breathe,’ and a white judge say, There’s been no crime here today.”

This is by no means the first time that the iconic rocker has spoken out publicly against Trump, as last year he was displeased, and quite vocal in his condemnation of Trump’s unauthorized use of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s song “Fortunate Son” at his political rallies.

In the final analysis, Fogerty’s characterization of the former president is not only scathing, but is also cloaked in a cape of truth. “Forked-tongued Pharaoh, behold he comes to seek. Weeping in the Promised Land. Hissing and spewing, it’s power that he seeks.”

This song begs to be heard. For it is the reflection, not of a 75 year old man who is bitter or angry. Rather, it is much a case of a treasured American musical artist offering up his definitive look back on the tumultuous events, not only of the past year, but also of the last four years as well. There is a sad and poignant tone and feel to it that holds one tightly in its chilly grip. It is also a testament to the rich artistic talent of a timeless rock ‘n’ roller with a deep social conscience.

Paul Collins is a freelance writer from Southborough,

Massachusetts.