Proud Mary - Guitar Lessonby Creedence Clearwater Revival

When he was a teenager, John Fogerty kept a little notebook with a list of potential song titles; Proud Mary was at the top of the list, although he envisioned it as referring to a housekeeper or domestic worker of some sort. When he came up with the opening chord sequence (C-A), it brought up a picture of a paddle wheel going around, which made him think of the Mississippi River. The signature riff is an unusual combination of chords that are not often played together as they are not in the same key.