‘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 peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 20 December 1969. The flip side, ‘Fortunate Son’, reached No. 14 on the United States charts on 22 November 1969, the week before Billboard changed its methodology on double-sided hits. In Canada, the single reached No. 4 in December 1969, and No. 5 in New Zealand. The song performed better in much of Continental Europe, where it made number 2 in Germany, number 9 in Austria, number 8 in the Netherlands, number 17 in Flemish-speaking Belgium and number 6 in French-speaking Belgium than in the United Kingdom, where it stalled at number 31.
The song depicts the fictional band Willy and the Poor Boys, and how they play on street corners to cheer people up and ask for nickels. Songwriter John Fogerty explained how the lyrics were derived: “I was kind of inspired by seeing an advertisement in the paper one day. It was an ad from Disney that said in great big letters 'Winnie the Pooh'. Something in my brain said 'Winnie the Pooh and the Pooh Boys'. Obviously, that was close to 'Willy and the Poor Boys'. As I began to develop this idea it turned into music in that weird mystical, almost uncontrollable way, music comes to songwriters. Winnie the Pooh is still my favorite character who I've shared with my daughter Kelsy since the day she was born, though she's growing out of it. But I'm not.”
The song makes reference to a harmonica, washboard, a kazoo, a Kalamazoo guitar, and a gut bass. In a 1969 appearance on The Music Scene, the band performed the song dressed up as "Willy and the Poor Boys". Stu Cook played a gut bass, Doug Clifford the washboard, and Tom Fogerty the Kalamazoo, which mimicked the appearance of the band as they appear on the album cover. Billboard described the single as having "an infectious calypso beat".
Just as The Beatles took the role of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Creedence became Willy And The Poorboys for this album. This is the only song that played to the concept, but CCR appeared on the cover as the fictional band. The Willy And The Poorboys persona suited the group, as they really were a basic, hardworking band who paid their dues before hitting it big. They sold the jug band theme by performing this song with a washtub bass and washboard. John Fogerty did all the singing on this. He recorded a bunch of vocal tracks that were overdubbed to create the effect that he was harmonizing with himself.
Label – Fantasy
Songwriter – John Fogerty
Producer – John Fogerty
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]Early in the evenin', just about supper time
Over by the courthouse, they're starting to unwind
Four kids on the corner trying to bring you up
Willy picks a tune out and he blows it on the harp
[Chorus]
Down on the corner, out in the street
Willy and the Poor Boys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet
[Verse 2]
Rooster hits the washboard, and people just got to smile
Blinky thumps the gut bass and solos for a while
Poor boy twangs the rhythm out on his Kalamazoo
Willy goes into a dance and doubles on kazoo
[Chorus]
Down on the corner, out in the street
Willy and the Poor Boys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet
[Instrumental Break]
[Chorus]
Down on the corner, out in the street
Willy and the Poor Boys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet
[Verse 3]
You don't need a penny just to hang around
But if you've got a nickel, won't you lay your money down?
Over on the corner, there's a happy noise
People come from all around to watch the magic boy
[Chorus]
Down on the corner, out in the street
Willy and the Poor Boys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet
Down on the corner, out in the street
Willy and the Poor Boys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet
Down on the corner, out in the street
Willy and the Poor Boys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet
Down on the corner, out in the street
Willy and the Poor Boys are playin'
Bring a nickel, tap your feet