# Who is Proud Mary and why does she keep on burning? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 28, 2003, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-proud-mary-and-why-does-she-keep-on-burning/198131 "2003-08-28T04:24:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fishhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9f8e36/32.png) [@Fishhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fishhead)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-proud-mary-and-why-does-she-keep-on-burning/198131/21 "2003-08-28T21:50:19Z")
Wow - all this because I am a little bit interested in old nautical terminology. I thought maybe the “proud mary” might have been a name for the smoke stack. (that would explain the burning). That also explains a little why I put it in general questions first. Actually, come to think of it, I still haven’t seen any evidence other than overwhelming concensus that Proud Mary was a boat, though I imagine you are all correct. Thanks for all the input. Do you 'spose there really was a steamboat called the Proud Mary? ---
**Author:** ![Fishhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9f8e36/32.png) [@Fishhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fishhead)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-proud-mary-and-why-does-she-keep-on-burning/198131/22 "2003-08-28T21:54:36Z")
The lyrics that I have seen on the web have Proud Mary capitalized. That is some evidence that Proud Mary is a name, likely a steamboat. I stand self-corrected. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-proud-mary-and-why-does-she-keep-on-burning/198131/23 "2003-08-29T00:09:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeff Lichtman \* > \*\*I’d always heard that Proud Mary was marijuana. \*\* yer thinkin’ of Puff the magic dragon…😃 ---
**Author:** ![verbenabeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c4cdca/32.png) [@verbenabeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/verbenabeast)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-proud-mary-and-why-does-she-keep-on-burning/198131/24 "2003-08-29T01:20:09Z")
heh! I have played this song in several working bands over the years… always, ALWAYS, sing “pumped a lotta tang” ! will continue to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-proud-mary-and-why-does-she-keep-on-burning/198131/25 "2003-08-29T01:59:11Z")
Pumped Tang? Was he supposed to be an astronaut? Oh, wait… ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-proud-mary-and-why-does-she-keep-on-burning/198131/26 "2003-08-29T02:36:48Z")
No no no, Pumpin Tang is Pootie Tang’s brother. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-proud-mary-and-why-does-she-keep-on-burning/198131/27 "2003-08-29T05:18:11Z")
One can find this: [http://www.memphisqueen.com/show.php](http://www.memphisqueen.com/show.php) > [@](#): > > From time to time it has been necessary over the years to hire a tugboat to push the “SHOWBOAT”. The best known of these was the MARY ELIZABETH, memorialized in the world famous song, PROUD MARY. She was a Memphis boat until abandoned; she sunk, was raised and broken up for scrap in the 80s. I’d take that with a large grain of salt, but it does concern Memphis showboats. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-proud-mary-and-why-does-she-keep-on-burning/198131/28 "2003-08-29T12:17:32Z")
“Pumped a lot of 'tane down in New Orleans …” Octane. Gasoline. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-proud-mary-and-why-does-she-keep-on-burning/198131/29 "2003-08-29T12:58:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ltfire \* > \*\*yer thinkin’ of Puff the magic dragon…😃 \*\* And “take a ride on the flying spoon” would be about…? ---
**Author:** ![Myrr21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Myrr21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrr21)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-proud-mary-and-why-does-she-keep-on-burning/198131/30 "2003-08-29T13:10:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ElvisL1ves \* > \*\*“Pumped a lot of 'tane down in New Orleans …” > Octane. Gasoline. \*\* Except that if you look a few posts up, you’re wrong. The original lyric is either pane or pain. I always assumed pane, as in propane… ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-proud-mary-and-why-does-she-keep-on-burning/198131/31 "2003-08-29T13:32:00Z")
[http://www.absolutelyric.com/a/view/Creedence\_Clearwater\_Revival/Proud\_Mary/](http://www.absolutelyric.com/a/view/Creedence_Clearwater_Revival/Proud_Mary/) ---
**Author:** ![moejuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@moejuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejuck)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-proud-mary-and-why-does-she-keep-on-burning/198131/32 "2003-08-29T15:00:31Z")
I thought it was pumped a lot of pain down in New Orleans. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-proud-mary-and-why-does-she-keep-on-burning/198131/33 "2003-08-29T20:17:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by moejuck \* > \*\*I thought it was pumped a lot of pain down in New Orleans. \*\* Is there an echo in here, or did someone not read the last handful of posts? ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-proud-mary-and-why-does-she-keep-on-burning/198131/34 "2003-08-30T01:30:52Z")
Ah, it’s a 1920’s style “death ray.” ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-proud-mary-and-why-does-she-keep-on-burning/198131/35 "2003-08-30T01:39:09Z")
perhaps he was into bodybuilding while in new orleans? no pain, no gain. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-proud-mary-and-why-does-she-keep-on-burning/198131/36 "2003-08-30T04:05:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Myrr21 \* > \*\*Except that if you look a few posts up, you’re wrong. The original lyric is either pane or pain. I always assumed pane, as in propane… \*\* Listen to the Ike and Tina Turner version - she clearly says “tane”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-proud-mary-and-why-does-she-keep-on-burning/198131.md?page=1)