OL' MAN RIVER
Lyrics by: Oscar Hammerstein II
Music by: Jerome Kern
From the Musical "Show Boat" (1936)
Frank Sinatra recorded this song at least 3 times.
These lyrics are from the 1963 arrangement conducted by Nelson Riddle
https://youtu.be/BoLWw7vtO24
Intro
[C] [G] [C]
Verse 1
[C] [F]
Here we all work 'long the Mississippi,
[C] [Am] [C] [G]
Here we all work, while the rich folk play,
[C] [Am]
Pullin' 'em boats from the dawn till sunset,
[C] [G7] [G] [C]
Gettin' no rest till the judgment day.
Bridge
[Em] [Am] [Em] [Am]
Don't look up, and don't look down,
[Em] [Am] [Em] [Am]
You don't dares make the boss man frown,
[Em] [F#m] [Em] [F#m]
Bend your knees, and bow your head,
[Em] [F#m] [C] [Em] [Dm] [G]
And pull that rope until you're dead.
Verse 2
[C] [F]
Let me go away from the Mississippi,
[C] [Am] [C] [G]
Let me go away from the white man boss,
[C] [F] [C] [Dm]
Show me that stream, called the River Jordan,
[C] [Dm] [G7] [C]
That's the old stream, that I long to cross.
Chorus
[C] [Am] [C] [Am]
Old Man River, that Old Man River,
[C] [F] [C] [Am] [C]
He don't say nothin', but he must know somethin'.
[Am] [C] [G7]
He just keeps rollin',
[C] [G7] [G] [C] [F] [C] [G7]
He keeps on rollin' along.
Verse 3
[C] [FM7] [C] [FM7]
He don't plant taters, and he don't plant cotton,
[C] [FM7] [C] [FM7]
And them what plants 'em are soon forgotten,
[C] [Dm] [C] [Dm] [C] [F] [C] [Dm]
But Old Man River, just keeps rollin' along.
Bridge
[Em] [Am] [Em] [Am]
You, and me, we sweat and strain,
[Em] [Am] [Em] [Am]
Body all achin', and racked with pain,
[Em] [F] [Em] [F]
Tote that barge, lift that bale,
[Em] [F] [Em] [Dm] [G]
You get a little drunk, and you lands in jail.
Outro
[C] [FM7] [C] [FM7]
I gets weary and sick of tryin',
[C] [Dm] [C] [F] [Dm] [Dm7]
I'm tired of livin', but I'm scared of dyin'
[C] [Dm] [C] [Dm] [C] [Dm] [C] [Dm] [C] [Dm] [C]
That Old Man River, he just keeps rollin' along.
