MANNY: This is a song about the Bayou (strange since CCR members were from CA). The Shoefly/Dragonfly references are literal - just a person enjoying cool water but wanting the bugs to go away. As for the "Flat Car" and "Cross Tie Walkers" lyrics - this refers to railroad workers in camps - in the 1930's. They rode flat cars on the rail lines and the workers installed railroad ties after they were unloaded from the flat cars - these workers were called "Cross-Tie Walkers."
MANNY: This is a song about the Bayou (strange since CCR members were from CA). The Shoefly/Dragonfly references are literal - just a person enjoying cool water but wanting the bugs to go away. As for the "Flat Car" and "Cross Tie Walkers" lyrics - this refers to railroad workers in camps - in the 1930's. They rode flat cars on the rail lines and the workers installed railroad ties after they were unloaded from the flat cars - these workers were called "Cross-Tie Walkers."