OL' MAN RIVER

WRITERS OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN 11, JEROME KERN



Here we all work 'long the Mississippi 

Here we all work while the white boys play 

Gettin no rest from the dawn till sunset 

Gettin no rest till the judgment day 

You don't look up, you don't look down 

You don't dare make the rich boss frown 

Bend your knees and bow your head 

And tote that barge until you're dead 

Let me go 'way from the Mississippi 

Let me go 'way from the rich man boss 

Show me that stream called the River Jordan 

That's the old stream that I long to cross  

Ol' Man River, Ol' Man River 

He don't say nothin, he must know somethin 

Ol' Man River, he just keeps rollin' along 

You know, you know he don't plant taters 

And we all know the man don't plant no cotton 

And then, and then what plants 'em, all know is soon forgotten 

But Ol' Man River, he just keeps rollin' along 

You, you and me 

You know sometimes we have to we have to sweat, sweat and strain 

Our bodies, our bodies are all achin' and wracked with a whole lot of pain 

Tote that barge, lift that bale, you get a little drunk 

And you land in ja-ail 

I get weary and so sick of tryin' 

I'm tired of livin', and fraid of dyin' 

But Ol' Man River, he just keeps rollin' a-

Ol' Man River, he just keeps rollin' along, ooh