PING pumped a lot of PING, slang for gasoline
 

PING pumped a lot of PING is slang for gasoline. The old gas pumps made a "pinging" sound as the fuel flowed, probably as a safety feature so you could tell whether it was safe to pull the nozzle out.

PING, gasoline
 

Old gas pumps made a "PING" for every tenth of a gallon I think it was. One thing for sure, we ALL sang along "pumped a lot of ping down in new orleans" Never any of the other stuff posted here, and we sang it ALOT.:wellcome:

[QUOTE=Oatmotor;4602]Old gas pumps made a "PING" for every tenth of a gallon I think it was. One thing for sure, we ALL sang along "pumped a lot of ping down in new orleans" Never any of the other stuff posted here, and we sang it ALOT.:wellcome:[/QUOTE]

[url]http://www.lyricsfreak.com/c/creedence+clearwater+revival/proud+mary_20034308.html[/url]

Anyways its been confirmed in interviews and such that he says "pain", most of his songs people mis-interpret the lyrics (like the more humorous Bathroom on the right which he started using on purpose during live performances just to mess with people)

Proud Mary
 

I think he says "pumped a lot of tang down in New Orleans".
The song was written just after the Vietnam war and the Vietnamese word or slang for female private parts was "PoonTang". Google it if you don't believe me. In short, tang. And yes it can be pumped. Hope I did not offend anyone...

he may be embarrassed that he says this, never expecting every last syllable of CCR lyrics to get examined in such detail....
But of course, what is a young man most interested in at that age?

He says pain, ive listened to these recordings so many times i can literally tell you the words to all their hit songs.

Its all in the way he pronounces letters, go and listen to other tracks on the bayou country album and you'll see that he pronounces T's different than P's, he says 'pumped alot of pain' i also linked, you would know without mistake if he had said 'tain or 'tang.


Here he is singing the song in 1998 when technology was a little clearer, you can hear him clearly say pain:

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=owfwE8LCksI#t=45[/url]

and heres him singing it in various years

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=0ROalKnVZfU#t=42[/url] (1970, Royal Albert Hall)

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=L-2Of9aznxg#t=47[/url] (1969, TV appearance, live vocal, pre-recorded instruments)

He definitely sings "Pain" .
It was Tina who started singing "Tane" and she was talking about a prostitute...

Pumped a Lot of Pane
 

"[I]Pumped a lot of pane down in New Orleans.[/I]"
I think it indeed refers to working at a gas station, but not for pumping "tane" aka oc-tane or gasoline. In our day they had[B] full service[/B] gasoline stations where they not only pumped the gas for you, but also checked your oil levels and [U]cleaned your windows[/U]. Pumped a lot of pane could refer to cleaning windows aka [B]glass panes[/B]. The back and forth motion of cleaning windows is a pumping effect.
There is the other possibility that instead of working at a gas station they could have been homeless or poor trying to earn money by washing windows for store fronts or car windows while they are stopped at red lights.