Sinister Purpose

Background

"Sinister Purpose" is an album track of Green River, the third long-player of Creedence Clearwater Revival.  The song is simply about the devil. It fits smoothly into the lengthy line of dark or melancholic cuts of the LP (John Fogerty, Fortunate Son, 2015).  

Trivia

"Sinister Purpose" was one of the first titles John wrote onto his notebook he bought in summer 1967.  It appears on the first page. So he had to invent it in 1967 or 1968 at the latest.   

Live versions

John Fogerty performed "Sinister Purpose" live for the first time in the premiere Green River album concert at Beacon Theatre in New York on November 18th, 2011. The show was broadcast live by Sirius XM radio. Concert goers heard "Sinister Purpose" also on the Australian tour in the following spring.

Critical reception

Critics have never regarded "Sinister Purpose" as a real masterpiece:

"--- I've never liked the artificially evil rocker 'Sinister Purpose' - I generally do feel all kinds of creeps coming over me when the guys play something 'evil' ('Run Through The Jungle', eh?), but 'Sinister Purpose' just sounds kinda dumb, probably because the lyrics are stupid: it's actually supposed to be a love song disguised as a musical nightmare, and there are certain macho elements here which do not really fit John's style." -George Starostin.  

"The album closes on what are unfortunately two subpar (to CCR’s considerably high standards, that is) songs, the clichéd bad boy tune “Sinister Purpose” and “The Night Time is the Right time,” a cover of a 1954 blues song by Nappy Brown. While the former passes through with little fanfare and Fogerty’s least convincing vocal performance, the latter’s fragmented, sexual theme doesn’t really fit alongside Fogerty’s original, narrative portrayals of country life." 

- Sputnik Music, June 28th, 2008. 

Fans' views

"Spooky... the guitar solo is like a bunch of wolves howling in the moonlight... it really gives you the creeps..."

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