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The phrase "Proud Mary" reminded John Fogerty of a domestic washerwoman, which is what he started writing the song about. When he wrote the music, the first few chords reminded him of a paddle-wheel going around, and he thought of the Mississippi River. Instead of "Proud Mary" being a clean-up lady, "she" became a boat. (Thanks to Ron Foster. More from Ron at www.oldiesradioonline.com.)

Fogerty wrote the lyrics based on 3 song title ideas- "Proud Mary," "Riverboat," and "Rolling On A River."

This was a #4 hit in the US for Ike and Tina Turner in 1971, and a highlight of their live shows. Tina Turner recalled in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine in 1971 how they came to record this on their Workin' Together album: "When we cut the album, we were lacking a few tunes, so we said 'Well, let's just put in a few things that we're doing on stage. And that's how 'Proud Mary' came about. I had loved it when it first came out. We auditioned a girl and she had sung 'Proud Mary.' This is like 8 months later, and Ike said, 'You know, I forgot all about that tune.' And I said let's do it, but let's change it. So in the car Ike plays the guitar, we just sort of jam. And we just sort of broke into the black version of it. It was never planned to say, 'Well, let's go to the record shop, and I'd like to record this tune by Aretha Franklin'... it's just that we get it for stage, because we give the people a little bit of us and a little bit of what they hear on the radio every day."

This was the first of 5 singles by Creedence that went to #2 on the US chart. They had the most #2 songs without ever having a #1.

Despite popular belief, John Fogerty was not writing from experience when he wrote this. Thanks to his military commitment, he hadn't ventured further east than Montana. (thanks, Brad Wind - Miami, FL)

"Proud Mary" attracted 35 covers in the year 1969 alone. Over 100 have been made so far.

Fogerty carried around a notebook with titles that he thought would make good songs. "Proud Mary" was at the top of the list.

The line, "Pumped a lot of pain down in New Orleans" is actually "Pumped a lot of 'Pane," as in propane. He was pumping gas.

Leonard Nimoy, who played "Mr. Spock" on Star Trek, recorded an infamous cover of this song. Near the end, he sings the chorus Elmer Fudd style - "Big wheel keep on toynin', Pwoud Mawy keep on boinin'..." It is included on a CD called Golden Throats.

John Fogerty (about how the guitar riff came about): "I don't know where the germ started. I can kind of remember writing the chords at the beginning of the song. Believe it or not, I was playing around with the famous riff from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. I used to tell people that the song sounds like what it's about. I thought, by the way, that the opening riff sounded just like the wheel at the back of a boat. 'Proud Mary' is not a side-wheeler, it's a stern-wheeler." (thanks, Brett - Edmonton, Canada, for above 2)

Even though Creedence Clearwater Revival was from El Cerrito, California, many people thoght they were from New Orleans because of their sound. They helped feed the rumor by naming their second album Bayou Country.

Comments:

Dear John Fogerty. Please send me the royalties for the song I wrote, Proud Mary and also Cotton Fields, Willie, and change all printed recording materials to show my name as original songwriter. Call off the thugs! Michael Holland Shepard, 501 W Broadway Ste A box 206, San Diego, California 92101
- Michael, Kensington 94707, CA

Does Anybody know where I can find Conway Twitty's version of proud Mary? If you do, please tell me. I have looked on the web and can not find it anywhere. Thanks, Garrett Miles
- Garrett, phenix city, AL

First of all, I'd like to say the lyrics to the second verse are as follows; "Cleaned a lot of plates in Memphis, pumped a lot of 'pane or 'pain down in New Orleans." I used to think it was "Pumped a lot of tank down in New Orleans." Later, I heard a friend of mine's son singing the CCR version, and he said it was 'pane. Then I listened closely to Creedence Clearwater Revival's version, and it was clear that Fogerty was saying "'Paine" or "'pain," and not "tank as i thought it was, or even "'tane" as Ike & Tina Turner sang. So I asked several people what they thought it was and they all said it was "'pane" as a contracted form of propane. I have listened to the lyrical content of the song and clearly do not think it is about smoking dope. I have never heard heroine called "Pain." The song is about a riverboat going down the Mississippi. Now that i got that point clear, Yesterday I was reading some of the comments on this site, and I heard someone mension that Conway Twitty sang the song. I had heard that a long time ago, but had forgotten about it. I was wondering if you knew how or where i could find it, because I have looked all over the internet and I can't find it If you read this, and you have an answer, please let me know.
- Garrett, phenix city, AL

To the person who made the comment about hating Tina's version - that's fine if you don't like it - Don't listen to it - But your excuse for a joke about Ike hitting her is apalling. Grow up a little!
- Harry, Myrtle Beach, SC

OOPS! That should be JOHN Fogerty.
- Marion, Houston, Texas, TX

I am probably much older than any of you who posted comments and believe I can safely say have known Jim Fogerty and his music much longer than you have. Do not presume to second guess this great artist. He says what he means and means what he says. Instead of arguing about the words of any song, why not just buy the sheet music?
- Marion, Houston, Texas, TX

I'm surprised most people don't draw the connection this song makes to marijuana. "Proud Mary keep on burnin?" I would say that is a pretty obvious reference to smoking some "Mary Jane"
- Kevin, Chicago, IL

I hate Tina Turner's version of this song. It's prolly the reason Ike beat her,"Damn Tina you messed that song up *Smack* Don't do it again!"
- Kris, Wichita, KS

I'm doing Memorial Tribute's in memory of an uncle who passed away that who used to work on the river as a deckhand years ago. My husband John has worked on the river for 31 years. He's a Captain on a lineboat. He thought this song "Proud Mary" would be the perfect song to put on the Memorial. We always loved this song. It's a good song and I don't know why people have to talk trash about such a great song! Marge,BG,IA.
- Marge, Blue Grass, IA

i used to think it was about the boat queen mary when i was younger.
- david, wilson, NY

I am disappointed to realize that I have had the lyrics wrong all these years - I thought the song said "pumped a lot of tang' down in New Orleans" as in poontang. Damn! I'm still gonna sing it that way, it's much more interesting that-a-way! A great song sung by anyone is still a great song!!!
- gare, st. paul, MN

It kills me when someone posts 'so and so did an awesome cover of this song'.I mean why would you want to hear anyone cover this song when you can hear CCR doing it? I mean hell, Fogerty himself is still playing in a traveling band and doing this song.Even Tina Turner sounded like crap trying to do this song.
- Mark, byrdstown, TN

John always had a book with him in which he wrote down feelings or experiences he made on journeys or something. He wrote lyrics with the help of this book.
- David, Baden-Baden, Germany

"Proud Mary" is number 8 in the list called "Sounds at the Speed of Music: 50 Rock Anthems at 100 kph"
- Street Strategist, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

On an NPR interview, Fogerty was asked to pronounce the words "turning" and "burning". Fogerty was amused when the host was shocked that John didn't pronounce them "toinin'" and "boinin'". He said he sang the song in a cajun accent, which, being fron Northern California, he had to fake.
- Ken, Louisville, KY

I read that John Fogerty wrote "Proud Mary" because he was happy about having been rejected for service in Vietnam. Can't believe everything you read though.
- Linda, omaha, NE

Ike and Tina Turner didn't ruin the song, it's just different but very good also.
- Teresa, Mechelen, Belgium

This is a great song. It tells of a riverboat sailing down the Mississippi River with the paddlewheels going full force. Ike&Tina Turner ruined the song by speeding up the beat and now every musician follows the Turner way instead of doing it the way John Fogerty wrote it, the way the son was meant to be.
- Paul, Warren, MI

Cool song. nice rhythmn. i danced to this song in my jazz class last year.
- Caitlin, Upper Township, NJ

I loved this song when it came out and still love it now, the version of Ike and Tina Turner is also very good. I can't say which one I prefer because they are so different.
- Teresa, Mechelen, Belgium

Heroin is called Boy & Coke is called girl because heroin or Dope = (D) & Coke = (C) (its code/slang) because a boy has a 'D' a girl has a 'C' (think of private parts) the word "Man" doesn't fit the equation
- Jeff, Staten Island, NY

I saw Fogerty in Chrlotte, NC. He's still doin' it. The "Man" in this song is heroin. "Workin for the man every night and day." If you want proof, watch the movie 'Ray' with Jamie Fox. They refer to coke as the lady, and heroin as boy. The river is referred to in thousands of rock songs. If you listen to any classic rock song and replace any word relating to water with heroin, they all make sense.
- Joe, Charlotte, NC

Yeah I saw him in Melbourne too. Terrific sing/songwriter and an excellent performer. Every there loved the entire show and was going crazy. I'm 14
- Mitchell, Melbourne, Australia

Just saw Fogerty two nights ago in Melbourne and when he did this song the crowd was jumping around and acting real crazy which is a surprise cause the crowd was made up of people from 15 to 75! Mind you we were going crazy to just about every song, incredible concert. If you get a chance to see him live, take it.
- Jolene, Melbourne, Australia

the lyric is pumped a lot of 'pane (propane) gasoline. it's funny how people project themselves on to perfectly harmless and obvious song lyrics.
- Diane, NYC, NY

It's a big person who can admit when they are wrong. I am (was) wrong. Straight from the horse's mouth: "Sometimes I write words to songs because they sound cool to sing. Sometimes the listener doesn't understand what I'm singing because I'm dedicated to singing the vowel, having fun with the word sounds coming out of my mouth. `Cleaned a lot of plates in Memphis, pumped a lot of pain down in New Orleans,' is a good example. I think Tina Turner sang `tane' instead of `pain,' as in a contracted form of octane. But I knew what she meant," Fogerty said.
- Diane, NYC, NY

there is an outstanding version of Proud Mary (country style) by Conway Twitty from LP "I Love You More Today". I do have it in MP3 Benitez
- jose, Barcelona, Spain

This is #155 on Rolling Stone's list of 500 greatest songs.
- Ross, Independence, MO

One reason people thought CCR was from Louisiana was the song on the flip side of this single, "Born On The Bayou". In fact, CCR had orginally intended that song to be the A-side, but U.S. disc jockeys kept playing "Proud Mary" so often that the record company made it a "double A side" 45, as was sometimes done in the 1960's.
- Ken, Louisville, KY

Good job, Cody. It seems to some people that every single song has some hidden meaning. Just listen to the music.
- Rob, Novi, MI

Best CCR song. Hands down. Well in my opinion at least. My dad is a really big Credence fan and listens to them a lot, so I got to know them well too. But I always though this was the best one.
- Kelly, Burbank, CA

I always associated "pumped a lot of pain" with cranking heroin. I think it's great that the good songwriters' lyrics are open to interpretation.
- Michael, Toronto, United States

i believe the lyric goes "pumped a lot of 'tain', down in new orleans", as opposed to "pumped a lot of 'pain', down in new orleans". it would make more sense that one could pump "tain" ( slang for octane, or gasolene ) at a low paying job, that would be compared to washing dishes. that, i can see being pumped, "pain" on the other hand, not so much.
- johnny, hilo, HI

Why does everyone want songs to be about marijuana? Sometimes its not about pot guys. Come on.
- Cody, San Antonio, TX

Trenyce sang this song very well on "American Idol."
- Jude, DB, CA