The sequel to Matt Loewen's "A Real Chooglin' Tale"
by Collins Crapo
This story contains the titles of John Fogerty's Blue Moon Swamp album and its 12 songs. Also here are the titles of 3 Blue Ridge Rangers songs that Matt didn't mention in the original story. Even several other CCR/JF titles are here, but I'm not counting them because they were in the original story.
Only a few minutes after Matt and Molina boarded their cruise ship, the captain told them that their trip would feature a concert by a man known simply as the Blueboy.
"I don't know who this guy is," Molina replied, "but I'd love to find out what he sounds like."
"So would I," added Matt. "Let the Blueboy play!"
As their ship set sail, the couple stood at the stern, admiring the view of the Green River emptying into the sea. "Ah, what a lovely river," said Matt, with his left arm around Molina's waist. "Particularly in the daytime. But at night, it looks more like a blue moon swamp, especially by Susie Q's house and Vance Greed's lair. Oh, and speaking of Vance, I'm so glad to be rid of him! He's a bad, bad boy!"
"Yes, my dear," said Molina, "but let's switch to a more pleasant subject, shall we?" No sooner did she finish that sentence than the shore and the river's mouth disappeared from their sight.
About an hour later, the sun began to set, and in a half-hour, the Blueboy's concert was to begin. Matt and Molina left the stern and descended the stairs to the deck immediately below. Near the bottom of that flight of stairs was an auditorium large enough to seat 5000 people. Aside from Blueboy and his band, the couple were the first people in. Upon sight of them, Blueboy asked, "You two here to see me?"
"Yes," the couple replied in unison. They then took two adjacent front-row seats.
Over the next half-hour, as more people arrived, they chatted with Blueboy; among the things they talked about was a possible backstage meeting after the show. "Yes," Blueboy said, "Here are two backstage passes, complete with autographs."
"Thanks!" exclaimed Matt enthusiastically.
The concert began. After Blueboy had sung only a few measures, Matt and Molina felt as though they had listened to him all their lives. They clapped their hands on every second and fourth beat throughout the concert. Once it was over, the couple showed their passes to the security guards, and in a minute they stood face-to-face with Blueboy.
"You were great!" said Matt. "If you're the Blueboy, then I'm a rambunctious boy. I've got a home everywhere I go."
"You do, huh?" Blueboy responded. "Well I'm glad you enjoyed the show."
"We sure did," Matt said, "I'd go walkin' in a hurricane to see you perform again."
An amused Blueboy bid farewell to the two fans he had just made.
After their post-concert chat with Blueboy, Matt and Molina returned to their viewing spot at the stern. "Well, whaddya know," said Matt. "The moon's full tonight. Blueboy's music is the second-best to listen to on our blue moon nights--second only to CCR, of course." Then he asked, "Molina, did I ever tell you that you are the joy of my life?"
"No," she said.
"Then I'm telling you now. Will you marry me?"
"YES!" and she hugged him and held him as tightly as she could for 10 seconds.
"Now," said Matt, "where to settle?"
"I know," said Molina, "How 'bout the Blue Ridge Mountains? I've got the Blue Ridge Mountain blues 'cause I left some friends and relatives behind there when I moved to Creedence with my parents when I was only seven years old."
"And I?" said Matt, "I've got the California blues, 'cause there they sleep out every night."
"I know," Molina retorted, "but in the daytime there it's 110 in the shade! And on a road called the Rattlesnake Highway, your car's engine will overheat, and you'll be stranded and left for dead. Besides, near the B.R.'s is a place called Jelly Roll where we can ease our minds when our jobs get stressful."
"Good point," conceded Matt. "Have thine own way, my dear."
Months later, Matt and Molina were married at Creedence City Hall by her father, the mayor. Once the ceremony was over, the couple went to a car lot and bought a new hot rod, trading in Matt's old, beat-up car as down payment. "Let's go ridin'," Matt told his bride, whose brown hair had been bleached by the sun, "for I've got a hot rod heart."
So they drove and drove and drove until they reached the Blue Ridge mountain range.
"See that railroad track?" Molina asked, "It's called the Southern Streamline because Virginia is a southern state and the track runs parallel to the Shenandoah River."
"OK, I get it," replied Matt.
Nearly out of gas, the newlyweds stopped in the town of Jelly Roll to refuel. In that same town, they bought a house, settled down, and left their swamp river days behind.
Did you find all 16 song/album titles in this story? If not, try clicking here for an answer key with the titles in all caps.