I see the bad moon a-risin'
I see trouble on the way
I see earthquakes and lightnin'
I see bad times today

Don't go around tonight
Well it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise

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

Don't go around tonight
Well it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise, alright

Hope you got your things together
Hope you are quite prepared to die
Looks like we're in for nasty weather
One eye is taken for an eye

Well don't go around tonight
Well it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise

Don't come around tonight
Well it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise


Lyrics submitted by 3ssence

Bad Moon Rising Lyrics as written by John C. Fogerty

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC

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Bad Moon Rising song meanings
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  • +6
    General Comment

    This is about John Fogerty's personal battle with werewolfism. He fears a full or "bad" moon rising because he doesnt want to hurt people as a werewolf

    Uncle Jemimahon August 07, 2005   Link
  • +5
    General Comment

    its true that this songs lyrics were inspired by a movie called The Devil And Daniel Webster, in which a hurricane wipes out most of a town. This is where John Fogerty got the idea for the line "I feel the hurricane blowin', I hope you're quite prepared to die. - The lyrics also describing events that indicate a coming apocalypse

    JeffKaos71on January 28, 2005   Link
  • +5
    General Comment

    I thought this song was about racism and the violence against blacks in the South.
    "Don't go around tonight Well it's bound to take your life There's a bad moon on the rise." They would warn blacks not to leave their homes at night in order to avoid gangs of whites. These confrontations would almost certainly lead to death or injury, and night was the most dangerous time for blacks.

    "I hear the voice of rage and ruin" Hearing the white gangs express rage at rallies, or even as they encountered blacks on the street. The ruin could refer to bombings and arson on black establishments.

    "One eye is taken for an eye" A white gang killed a black person, so a black gang would kill a white person, and it would go back and forth...

    Just how I saw it.

    deusmortuorumon August 22, 2005   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    I've read that this song was reaction to Richard Nixon's election in 1968. Clearly, he did not expect great things of Nixon.

    Slyodon August 21, 2011   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This is directly from Bad Moon Rising by Hank Bordowitz. Page 59. It is a quote from John Fogerty

    "Bad Moon Rising is obviously an homage to the early Sun recordings." "The imagery ca,e frp, a 1941 movie, The Devil and Daniel Webster, about a senator that makes a deal with the Devil.... There's one great scene where there's a huge storm, and the neighbor's corn crop was completely knocked down. But next door, the Devil and Daniel Webster are standing side by side, looking out hte barn door. You can see Daniel Webster's corn still standing tall in a straight row six feet high. The contrast represented a very strong image to me. I took it in a biblical sense, meaning hurricanes and lightening."

    zyg0teon December 10, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    this song definitely sounds like it could be describing the vietnam war. i believe i have seen it in a couple music lists from that era.

    goat manillaon May 10, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Re: "When I heard this song on the radio when I was a kid, I always thought he was saying a bathroom on the right". You are not the first to think you hear JCFogerty sing "a bathroom on the right". Actually JCFogerty sometimes sing "a bathroom on the right" when he preform the song live.

    DjUveon June 15, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i've heard this song is about vietnam.

    a bad moon rising is a full moon. in vietnam a full moon is light for the NVA/vc to see you. and then kill you

    "Don't go around tonight Well it's bound to take your life"

    Surfwaxamerica06on August 26, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Your all wrong, Badd Moon Rising is a song about how righteous and kick-ass Creedence Clearwater is. The line "Bad Moon on The Rise", when translated in Gaelic, means "John Fogerty is My Hero".

    CrappyBassiston July 26, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Definitely a political antic towards Vietnam.

    rocknrolljessieon August 29, 2009   Link

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