Left a good job in the city Working for the man every night and day And I never lost one minute of sleeping Worrying about the way things might have been Big wheel keep on turning Proud Mary keep on burning Rolling rolling rolling on the river Cleaned a lot of plates in Memphis Pumped a lot of pain down in New Orleans But I never saw the good side of the city Till I hitched a ride on a river boat queen Big wheel keep on turning Proud Mary keep on burning Rolling rolling rolling on the river Rolling rolling rolling 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 turning Proud Mary keep on burning Rolling rolling rolling on the river Rolling rolling rolling on the river