Creedence Clearwater Revival - The Midnight Special

"The Midnight Special" is an album track on Willy And the Poor Boys, the fourth long-player of Creedence Clearwater Revival.

This rough folk blues is supposed to originate among prisoners in the American South. The traditional song is historically performed from the viewpoint of the prisoner. The title refers to the passenger train.

As a kid, John Fogerty attended Berkeley Folk Festival where Pete Seeger exposed a film of Lead Belly performing "Cotton Fields" and "The Midnight Special"

Lyrics

Well, you wake up in the mornin', you hear the work bell ring

And they march you to the table, you see the same old thing

Ain't no food upon the table, and no pork up in the pan

But you better not complain, boy, you get in trouble with the man

Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me

Let the Midnight Special shine a ever lovin' light on me

Yonder come miss Rosie, how in the world did you know?

By the way she wears her apron, and the clothes she wore

Umbrella on her shoulder, piece of paper in her hand

She come to see the governor, she want to free her man

Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me

Let the Midnight Special shine a ever lovin' light on me

If you're ever in Houston, well, you better do the right

You better not gamble, there, you better not fight, at all

Or the sheriff will grab ya and the boys will bring you down

The next thing you know, boy, oh, you're prison bound

Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me

Let the Midnight Special shine a ever lovin' light on me

Let the Midnight Special shine a light on me

Let the Midnight Special shine a ever lovin' light on me

Songwriters: John Cameron Fogerty