Googlin' 'Chooglin': 5 songs that 'choogle'

This week's songs are from Buck Meek, David Nance & Mowed Sound, Kings of Leon, T. Rex, and J.J. Cale

Creedence Clearwater Revival had a sound all their own. Some called it “swamp rock, ” and it wasn’t only defined by John Fogerty’s unique voice. It had an intangible, loose blues-based boogie. It was all feel and energy.

That’s “choogle.”

The term was picked off of CCR’s “Keep on Chooglin’,” which is a perfect example of mid-tempo chooglin’. According to Fogerty, “chooglin’” (“never ‘choogling’”) is “what happens when you got to ball and have a good time.”

“Choogle” has since been used to describe other music with that same hard-to-pin-down feel. Like obscenity, you know it when you hear it; it’s either chooglin’ or it’s not. It’s become something of a sub-genre unto itself.

“My favorite music genre is choogle” - Steven Hyden

The two best definitions for “choogle” I’ve found are:

1. “A fatalistic form of the boogie. Whereas the boogie promises release and salvation, the choogle is a nose-to-the-grindstone shuffle that promises, at best, the ability to keep on keeping on.”

2. “Debauched white-boy boogie, after white-boy boogie drank too much Old Crow and fell asleep on his deck listening to Grand Funk Railroad. Choogle has a nasty sunburn and a hangover, but he’s still ready to party.”

Beyond CCR, ZZ Top, and Joe Walsh, the Grateful Dead belong on the Mount Rushmore of choogle. In honor of Phil Lesh’s passing last week, I’ll use this space to encourage everyone to register as an organ donor.

Buck Meek - “Haunted Mountain”

Buck Meek is the guitarist for occasional choolgers Big Thief. This ditty is off of his 2023 solo album of the same name. If you told me this was an update of an old folk song, I’d be inclined to believe you. But Meek wrote it with singer Jolie Holland, who released her own version the same year. Holland’s version unfortunately has no choogle. If you watch this video in black and white, it’s got a lot in common with CCR’s promotional film for “Lookin’ Out My Back Door.” I’d make a crack about the outfits, but I’m only here for the tunes.

David Nance & Mowed Sound - “Mock the Hours”

David Nance & Mowed Sound choogle like they’re banging the shit out of the instruments late at night from the garage next door. The lyrics sound like gibberish on top of a chorus that’s there to taunt the neighbors. This is amped-up chooglin’. Listening to this I can almost smell the American Spirits and taste the warm Coors Banquet.

“I love this style of music. The only problem is that I am viscerally repelled by the actual word. There’s something about the combination of letters. I can’t bring myself to say it out loud and can no longer even type it.” - Scott Bunn

Kings of Leon - “Wasted Time”

Speaking of amped up chooglin’…Once up on a time, Kings of Leon could rip it. I saw them on the Aha Shake Heartbreak tour at the Bluebird in Bloomington, IN (it’s small). They tore the place up with rave-ups like “Wasted Time,” flailing around like freaked out hippie preachers. About a year later I saw them at the Riviera promoting their follow up. Wearing tight black leather outfits and platform boots, they posed or otherwise stood still the whole time. Worst of all, their music stopped chooglin’. Apparently they’ve got a new album out called Can’t We Just Have Fun? and I’d still like to know why they stopped in the first place.

T. Rex - “Telegram Sam”

Marc Bolan, the creative force behind T. Rex was always in the shadow of Bowie. Both men shape-shifted from folkies to hippies to androgynous glam rockers. Unlike Bowie, if you strip out the make-up and glitter, for the most part T. Rex’s music stayed close to blues-based rock & roll. There’s a song on the Slider called “Chariot Choogle,” but I just like this one more. It’s apparently an ode to Bolan’s accountant, Sam Adler, informing Bolan that their song “Get it On” had just hit #1.

J.J. Cale - “Hey Baby”

Going back to that first definition—specifically, “nose-to-the-grindstone shuffle that promises, at best, the ability to keep on keeping on”—that pretty much sums up J.J. Cale’s music in a nutshell. I’m not into a lot of J.J. Cale, but Troubadour is solid album for a laid back afternoon. Hell, put him up on the chooglin’ Mount Rushmore too.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the listening. Keep on chooglin’.