| Lyrics: | OL' MAN RIVER
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
judgment day.
Don't look up an' don't look down,
you don't dast make de white boss
frown.
Bend yo' knees an' bow yo' head
and pull dat rope until yo're dead.
Let me go
way from de Mississippi,
let me go way from de white men boss.
Show me dat stream called
de river Jordan,
dat's de ol' stream dat I long to cross.
01 man river, dat ol' man
river,
he must know sumpin' but don't say nothin',
he jus keeps rollin', he keeps on
rollin' along.
He don't plant taters, he don't plant cotton,
an' dem dat plants 'em is
soon forgotten
but ol' man river, he jus keeps rollin' along.
You an' me, we sweat an'
strain,
body all achin' an' racked wid pain.
"Tote dat barge!","Litf 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 jus keeps rollin' along.
- Oscar Hammerstein II |
