“Chooglin'” is a slang term that was popularized in the 1970s by the rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival. The term appears in the band’s song “Keep on Chooglin’,” and it is believed to be a made-up word that describes a rhythmic, pulsating motion, often associated with dancing or grooving to the music.
“Keep On Chooglin'” is a song written by John Fogerty that was first released as the final song on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s January 1969 album Bayou Country. The song was often used to close Creedence Clearwater Revival concerts and was later covered by several other artists including Fogerty as a solo artist.
According to John Fogerty, he began working on “Keep On Chooglin'” (as well as “Born on the Bayou” and “Proud Mary,” which also appeared on Bayou Country) during his time in the US Army Reserves. He continued working on those songs after his discharge and throughout most of 1968, during which time he came up with the idea to cross-reference the songs as part of a “swamp bayou myth.” Choogle also became known as an especially funky form of travel once Fogerty stated his intention to “just a-chooglin’ on down to New Orleans” in the same album’s “Born on the Bayou.”
Born on the Bayou Lyrics
Now, when I was just a little boy
Standin' to my Daddy's knee
My poppa said, "Son, don't let the man get you
Do what he done to me."
'Cause he'll get you
'Cause he'll get you now, now
And I can remember The Fourth of July
Runnin' through the backwood bare
And I can still hear my old hound dog barkin'
Chasin' down a hoodoo there
Chasin' down a hoodoo there
Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou, oh, oh
Wish I was back on the Bayou
Rollin' with some Cajun Queen
Wishin' I were a fast freight train
I'm just a-chooglin' on down to New Orleans
Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou, do it, do it, do it, do it
Oh, Lord
Oh, get back, boy
And I can remember The Fourth of July
Runnin' through the backwood bare
And I can still hear my old hound dog barkin'
Chasin' down a hoodoo there
Chasin' down a hoodoo there
Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou
All right! Do, do, do, do
Mm, oh
Thanks to Fogerty, choogle became inextricably, and somewhat mistakenly, linked with the South. But, as defined by “Proud Mary” and “Born on the Bayou,” it’s more of a rhythm than anything else: fluid, organic, undulating. Though the tempo varies, all choogle carries an insistent drive that just won’t quit.
The exact meaning of “chooglin'” is somewhat open to interpretation, but it generally connotes a sense of moving with a steady, almost mechanical rhythm, often accompanied by a strong beat or bass line. In the context of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s music, “chooglin'” is closely associated with the band’s bluesy, swamp-rock sound and their high-energy live performances.
Keep On Chooglin' Lyrics
Keep on chooglin'
Keep on chooglin'
Keep on chooglin'
Chooglin', chooglin'
Maybe you don't understand it
But if you're a natural man
You got to ball and have a good time
And that's what I call choogling
Here comes Mary looking for Harry
She going to choogle tonight
Here comes Louie, works in the sewer
He going to choogle tonight
Keep on chooglin'
Keep on chooglin'
Keep on chooglin'
Chooglin', chooglin', chooglin', chooglin'
Keep on chooglin'
Keep on chooglin'
Keep on chooglin'
Chooglin', chooglin'
If you can choose it, who can refuse it
Y'all be chooglin' tonight
Go on, take your pick, huh, right from the git go
You got to choogle tonight
Keep on chooglin'
Keep on chooglin'
Keep on chooglin'
Hooglin', chooglin', chooglin', chooglin', chooglin', chooglin'
Ahhhh-na-na-na-na
Ahhhh-na-na-na-na
Oh, we're Creedence!
Clearwater!
Revival!
Further Reading
Sources
- Rolling Stone: The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Keep On Chooglin'”
- The Guardian: ‘Chooglin”: the magic word that made Creedence Clearwater Revival rock
- NPR: John Fogerty, An American Songwriter, Choogles On
- Rock Town Hall
- Wikipedia
- The Austin Chronicle
