Ol' man river

"Dere's an ol' man"
(original text) at the bottom of this page

Ol' man river.
That ol' man river.
He don't say nothin'
But he must know somethin'
Cause he just keeps rollin'
He keeps rollin' along.
Rollin' along.

He don't plant tators
He don't plant cotton.
Them that plants 'em
Is soon forgotten.
But ol' man river
He keeps rollin' along.

You and me
We sweat and strain.
Body all achin'
And wracked with pain.
Tote that barge.
Lift that bale.
Get a little drunk
And you land in jail.

I gets weary
Sick of tryin'
I'm tired of livin'
Feared of dyin'
But ol' man river
He's rollin' along.

Jerome Kern (m) - O Hammerstein II (w)

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Original text from Showboat 1927

Dere's an ol' man

Dere's an ol' man
Called de Mississippi
Dat's de ol' man
Dat I'd like to be!
What does he care
If de world's got troubles?
What does he care
If de land ain't free?

Ol' man river,
Dat ol' man river
He mus'know sumpin'
But don't say nuthin',
He jes'keeps rollin'
He keeps on rollin' along.

He don' plant taters,
He don't plant cotton,
An' dem dat plants'em
Is soon forgotten,
But ol'man river,
He jes keeps rollin'along.

You an'me, we
Sweat an' strain,
Body all achin'
An' racket wid pain,
Tote dat barge!
Lif' dat bale!
Git a little drunk
An' you land in jail.

Ah gits weary
An' sick of tryin'
Ah'm tired of livin'
An' skeered of dyin',
But ol' man river,
He jes'keeps rolling' along.

Colored folks work
On de Mississippi,
Colored folks work
While de white folks play,
Pullin' dose boats
From de dawn to sunset,
Gittin' no rest
Till de judgement day.

Don't look up
An' don't look down,
You don' dast make
De white boss frown.
Bend your knees
An'bow your head,
An' pull date rope
Until you' dead.

Let me go 'way
From the Mississippi,
Let me go 'way
From de white man boss;
Show me dat stream
Called de river Jordan,
Dat's de ol' stream
Dat I long to cross.

O' man river,
Dat ol' man river,
He mus'know sumpin'
But don't say nuthin'
He jes' keeps rollin'
He keeps on rollin' along.

Long ol' river
Forever keeps rollin' on...

He don' plant tater,
He don' plant cotton,
An' dem dat plants 'em
Is soon forgotten,
But ol' man river,
He jes' keeps rollin' along.

Long ol' river
Keeps hearing dat song.
You an' me,
We sweat an' strain,
Body all achin
An' racked wid pain.
Tote dat barge!
Lif' dat bale!
Git a little drunk
An' you land in jail.

Ah, gits weary
An' sick of tryin'
Ah'm tired of livin'
An' skeered of dyin',
But ol' man river,
He jes'keeps rollin' along!

Jerome Kern (m) - O Hammerstein II (w)

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