What does Proud Mary mean?

Creedence Clearwater Revival: Proud Mary Meaning

Album cover for Proud Mary album cover

Song Released: 1969


Proud Mary Lyrics

Left a good job in the city,
Workin for the man every night and day,
And I never lost one minute of sleepin',
Worryin' bout the way things might have been.

Chorus:
Big wheels keep on turnin,
Proud mary keep on burnin,
Rollin, rollin,...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Jan 12th 2013 !⃝

    Actually, Proud Mary (in the river industry) was horse manure that had been mixed with other manures and baled, to be added to the coal or wood, in the days of steam. When the steam boats were going downstream, wood and coal would suffice to build enough steam to navigate the rivers. Going upstream, the boat needed more steam, so the nitrogen in the horse manure would burn much hotter and build much more steam. The baled manure was known as "Proud Mary". 'Big wheel, keep on turnin', Proud Mary keep on burnin'.'

  2. anonymous
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    Oct 25th 2019 !⃝

    Proud Mary was a cheap pitch blend product that when added to furnace wood in the paddle steamboats, increased the furnace temperature to produce steam at an increased rate.
    It has nothing to do with nitrogen production as nitrogen doesn’t burn. It is inflammable.

  3. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 5th 2010 !⃝

    My friend says that Proud Mary refers to marijuana....makes sense.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway

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