OL' MAN RIVER
From the Broadway Musical "Show Boat" (1927)
(Jerome Kern / Oscar Hammerstein II)
Jules Bledsoe (Broadway Production) - 1927
Paul Robeson (London Production) - 1928
Jules Bledsoe (Film Soundtrack) - 1929
Paul Robeson (Broadway Revival) - 1932
Paul Robeson (Film Soundtrack) - 1936
Kenneth Spencer (Broadway Revival) - 1946
Caleb Peterson (feat. in The film "Till The Clouds Roll By") - 1946
William Warfield (Film Soundtrack) - 1951
William Warfield - 1962
William Warfield (Lincoln Center Production) - 1966
Thomas Carey (London Revival) - 1971
Bruce Hubbard (Broadway Revival) - 1983
Bruce Hubbard - 1988
P.L. Brown (TV Production) - 1989
Willard White - 1993
Michel Bell (Toronto Production) - 1993
Michel Bell (Broadway Revival) - 1994
Mark Coles (London Revival) - 2006
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' wracked wid pain,
Tote dat barge! Lif' dat bale!
Git a little drunk an' you lands 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
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 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
(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)
Long, low river
Forever keeps rollin'
(Don' plant taters, he don' plant cotton)
(And dem dat plants' em is soon forgotten)
(But ol' man river
(He jes' keeps rollin' along)
Long low river
Keeps singin' dis song
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 jail
Ah gits weary an' sick o' tryin'
Ah'm tired o livin' an' skeered o' dyin'
But ol' man river
He jes' keeps rollin' along!
**The lines "Niggers all work on de Mississippi, Niggers all work
while de white folks play" were sung in the original 1927 Broadway
Show. They were changed for the 1936 film version to "Darkies all
work on de Mississippi, Darkies all work while de white folks play".
By the time of the 1946 Broadway revival, the lines had changed again
to "Colored folks work on de Mississippi, Colored folks work while de
white folks play". And soon after, in the film "Till the Clouds Roll
By", they had become "Here we all work on de Mississippi, Here we all
work while de white folks play".
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STANDARD RECORDED VERSION:
OL' MAN RIVER
From the Broadway Musical "Show Boat" (1927)
(Jerome Kern / Oscar Hammerstein II)
Paul Whiteman & His Orch. (vocal: Bing Crosby) - 1928
Al Jolson - 1928
Paul Robeson with Paul Whiteman & His Orch. - 1928
The Revelers - 1928
Jack Hylton & His Orch. (vocal: Paul England) - 1928
Luis Russell & His Orch. (vocal: Sonny Woods) - 1934
Frank Sinatra - 1944
Frank Sinatra (feat. in the film "Till The Clouds Roll By") - 1946
Boyd Raeburn & His Orch. (vocal: Mel Tormé) - 1946
Al Hibbler - 1952
Martha Raye - 1954
Tony Bennett - 1959
Roy Hamilton - 1959
Sam Cooke - 1960
Ray Charles - 1963
Frank Sinatra - 1963
Charlie Rich - 1964
The Lettermen - 1965
Cilla Black - 1965
Pat Boone - 1966
The Temptations - 1967
Lou Rawls - 1968
Also recorded by:
Jim Croce; Sammy Davis Jr.; Bo Diddley; Edmundo Ros;
Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen; Melanie; Rosemary Clooney;
Les Brown & His Band of Renown; Gordon MacRae; Cher;
Les Paul; Bob Pearson; Oscar Peterson; André Previn;
Robert Merrill; Marian Montgomery; Caterina Valente;
Louis Prima; Denis Quilley; Della Reese; Roy Rogers;
Harry James & His Orch.; Chet Atkins; Judy Garland;
Duke Ellington; Stephane Grappelli; Lionel Hampton;
Erroll Garner; Dick Haymes; Al Hirt; The Ink Spots;
Percy Faith & His Orch.; Tommy Dorsey; Beach Boys;
Gordon MacRae; Melanie; Howard Keel; David Kernan;
Frank Sinatra Jr.; Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orch;
Roger Whittaker; Stan Kenton; Pasadena Roof Orch.;
Glenn Miller: ............. and many, many others.
Ol' man river, that ol' man river
He must know somethin', but he don't say nothin'
He just keeps rollin'
He keeps on rollin' along
He don't plant taters, he don't plant cotton
An' them that plants' 'em is soon forgotten
But ol' man river
He just keeps rollin' along
You an' me, we sweat an' strain
Body all achin' and wracked with pain
Tote that barge! Lift that bale!
You get a little drunk an' you land in jail
I get weary and sick of tryin'
I'm tired of livin' and scared of dyin'
But ol' man river
He just keeps rollin' along
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SOME OTHER VERSIONS:
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.
Male Chorus:
(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,
An' pull dat rope until you'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.
Ol' 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' 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!" "Lift 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.
STANDARD RECORDED VERSION (without 2 verses on the beginning):
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. ***
Ol' 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' 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!" "Lift 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.
***Or as the first verse instead of the verse "Let me go …":
Dere's an ol' man called de Mississippi
Dat's de ol' man dat I'd like (long) to be.
What does he care if de world's got troubles,
What does he care if de land ain't free.
(Contributed by Ferda Dolunay - June 2006)
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