Page type: lyric reference
Artist: U2
Canonical path: /u2/old-man-river
Related lyric paths: 6
Video embedded: yes
Lyric guide
Old Man River
Read Old Man River lyrics by U2 on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
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Curated by Ethan Walker
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Lyrics
Old 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 "Old Man River"?
U2 performs "Old Man River", and this lyric page sits inside the U2 catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "Old Man River"?
Yes. The related section below points to City Of Blinding Lights and Miracle Drug with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by U2?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through U2's lyric pages.
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