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<p><img src="https://www.songfacts.com/img-artalbums-145-881064e1c8fd5176be3b121930574d11.png"></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Album:&nbsp;</strong>Creedence Clearwater Revival (<a href="https://www.songfacts.com/browse/years/1968" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">1968</a>)</p><p><br></p><ul><li>This was co-written and originally recorded by rockabilly singer Dale Hawkins in 1956.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.songfacts.com/facts/dale-hawkins/susie-q" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">His version</a>&nbsp;hit US #27 a year later. Eleanor Broadwater and Stan Lewis wrote it with Hawkins.</li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li>This was Creedence Clearwater Revival's first single (not counting "<a href="https://www.songfacts.com/facts/creedence-clearwater-revival/porterville" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Porterville</a>," which was released when the band was known as The Golliwogs). They went on to become one of the biggest bands of the late '60s and early '70s thanks to a string of hits written by their leader, John Fogerty. Early on though, they recorded more cover songs, including "I Heard It Through The Grapevine." "Susie Q" was their only single not written or co-written by Fogerty to reach the Top 40.</li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li>John Fogerty had big plans for "Susie Q" from the start. He intended for it to define CCR's distinct character. In&nbsp;<em>Bad Moon Rising: The Unofficial History of Creedence Clearwater Revivial</em>, he said, "I knew I needed to work on arranging the song so that the band would sound like Creedence Clearwater Revivial, would sound professional, mysterious and also have their own definition. The song I chose was 'Susie Q.' I decided not to wring the song myself. I decided to pick something that existed because it'd just be easier. I'd be less self-conscious about doing things."</li><li>The album version runs 8:39. It evolved into a lengthy jam because the band had to fill long sets at their gigs.</li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li>The Rolling Stones covered this in 1964. Creedence had been playing the song at live shows, but stopped when The Stones released their version.</li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li>This was produced with liberal use of late '60s studio tricks, including wide stereo separation, feedback, and vocal distortion.</li></ul><p><br></p><ul><li>When asked what the rhymes are in the latter part of the song, bass player Stu Cook said, "They were just simple rhymes. John hated it when songwriters used simple rhymes just to make things rhyme, so this was a statement against that. It was sort of anti-Dylan."</li></ul><p><br></p>