Proud Mary
Creedence Clearwater Revival Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning
Workin' for the man every night and day
And I never lost one minute of sleepin'
Worryin' 'bout the way things might have been
Big wheel keep on turnin'
Proud Mary keep on burnin'
Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river
Cleaned a lot of plates in Memphis
Pumped a lot of pane down in New Orleans
But I never saw the good side of the city
'Til I hitched a ride on a river boat queen
Big wheel keep on turnin'
Proud Mary keep on burnin'
Rollin', rollin' (rollin'), rollin' on the river
Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river
If you come down to the river
Bet you gonna find some people who live
You don't have to worry 'cause you have no money
People on the river are happy to give
Big wheel keep on turnin'
Proud Mary keep on burnin'
Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river
Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river
Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river
Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river
The lyrics to Proud Mary by Creedence Clearwater Revival tell the story of a hard-working individual who has left a good job in the city for unspecified reasons, and is now reflecting on their life. The person worked every night and day for "the man", but never lost a minute of sleep over worrying about the way things might have been. The lyrics suggest that the person is content with their life, despite the hard work that they have endured.
The chorus of "Big wheel keep on turnin', Proud Mary keep on burnin', Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river" is a metaphor for the person's life. The "Big wheel" represents the person's daily grind, the "Proud Mary" represents their spirit and determination, and "rollin' on the river" symbolizes the journey of life, with its ups and downs.
The lyrics also mention the cities of Memphis and New Orleans, where the person had to work hard and clean plates or pump pane (gasoline) but never saw the good side of the city until they hitched a ride on a river boat queen. The final stanza talks about the generosity of people living on the river, who are happy to give despite having no money.
Overall, the lyrics to Proud Mary encourage the listener to persevere through the hard times, to keep their spirit and determination burning, and to appreciate the people around them who are willing to help. It's a song that celebrates the journey of life and the resilience of the human spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
Left a good job in the city
I quit my well-paying job in the city that I had been working at every day and night.
Workin' for the man every night and day
I was working hard for my employer, never taking any time off.
And I never lost one minute of sleepin'
I didn't worry about the decision to leave my job because I knew it was the right move for me.
Worryin' 'bout the way things might have been
I didn't second-guess my decision to leave and wasn't concerned about how my life might have been different if I stayed.
Big wheel keep on turnin'
Life goes on and doesn't stop for anyone.
Proud Mary keep on burnin'
Keep on going and never give up.
Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river
Life is like a river and it keeps flowing no matter what.
Cleaned a lot of plates in Memphis
I worked at a lot of different jobs in Memphis, including washing dishes.
Pumped a lot of pane down in New Orleans
I worked hard and did a lot of manual labor in New Orleans.
But I never saw the good side of the city
Despite working hard, I never got to see the more positive aspects of either city.
'Til I hitched a ride on a river boat queen
It wasn't until I took a ride on a riverboat and saw the river that my perspective changed.
If you come down to the river
If you come down to the river
Bet you gonna find some people who live
You're likely to find people who live and work on the river.
You don't have to worry 'cause you have no money
You don't need to have money to be happy on the river.
People on the river are happy to give
People who live on the river are happy to share what they have.
Rollin', rollin' (rollin'), rollin' on the river
Life is still like a river, always flowing and never stopping.
Rollin', rollin', rollin' on the river
Life keeps moving forward, just like a river.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Cameron Fogerty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Released as a single in January 1969, it became the band’s first top-ten hit on the U.S. Pop chart, peaking at number two,[1] or number one according to some charts.[2] Bob Dylan said this song was his favorite single of 1969. It was the first of five singles that the band released that would reach that peak on the chart, a record for most number-two singles for a group without ever having a number-one song. The song reached number eight in the UK.
ariel guantay
Que temonnnnnn!!!!!! Vuelvo inmediatamente a recordar esos buenos momentos con mi hermano, en el auto escuchando esta canción espetacular!!!!!!!!
Kayrenee
This song makes me think of my mom dancing in the kitchen while making Saturday morning breakfast. She worked her ass off but Saturdays where her days off. I miss you, mom.
Cory Maza
Who cares?
moe barnett
I wish I could have seen your Mother dancing to this song while cooking. I love CCR with a passion and I bet she did too. God bless you Darling.
dean c
I like you
Gary Bennett
My mum is fighting for her last days.......but these tunes will keep her alive forever
Marlene Lyles
@G G lol. Love this song ❣️
nicolas hernandez
Esta cancion la escuchaba mi padre cuando yo era pequeño mientras hacia arreglitos enla casa , en su taller con sus herramientas mientras yo lo miraba o me enseñaba , ahora tengo 24 años y cuando la escucho me recueda a el y cuando esta en casa la sige escuchando como hace años atras ♥️ papa lo quiero mucho
Maria Dec
Wspaniałe czasy, wspaniała muzyka, ponadczasowy nieśmiertelny utwór.
virginiapicker
Perfect example of how a really good song doesn’t need fancy production or technique, it’s just undeniably solid. And Fogerty’s voice? OMG. Raw and unmistakeable.