Niggers all work on de Mississippi
Niggers all 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' dar'st make de white boss frown
Bend your knees an' bow your head
An' pull dat rope until you're deadLet 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 Ol' man river, dat ol' man river
He mus' know sumpin', but don't say nothin'
He just keeps rollin'
He keeps on rollin' along Don' plant taters, he don' plant cotton
And 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' and wracked wid pain
Tote dat barge! Lift dat bale!
Git a little drunk and ya lands in jailAh gits weary an' sick of tryin'
Ah'm tired of livin' an' skeered of dyin'
But ol' man river
He jes' keeps rolling' along
Writer(s): Jerome Kern, Oscar Ii Hammerstein
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