Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Paul Robeson
Canonical path: /paul-robeson/ol-man-river
Related lyric paths: 6
Video embedded: yes
Lyric guide
Ol' Man River
Read Ol' Man River lyrics by Paul Robeson on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
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Curated by Ethan Walker
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Lyrics
Ol' Man River
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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/tators,
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.
Or musical part]
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!
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Who performs "Ol' Man River"?
Paul Robeson performs "Ol' Man River", and this lyric page sits inside the Paul Robeson catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "Ol' Man River"?
Yes. The related section below points to Anthem Of The Ussr and Loch Lomond with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Paul Robeson?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Paul Robeson's lyric pages.
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