Ol' Man River
Jean Ferris Lyrics

Here we all work 'long the Mississippi
We labor along the Mississippi River.

Here we all work while the white folk play
White people have leisure time while we work.

Pulling' them boats from the dawn till sunset
We work hard, pulling boats all day long from sunrise to sunset.

Getting no rest till the judgement day
We work tirelessly without any rest until the end of our lives.

Don't look up and don't look down
We must not avert our eyes from the work at hand.

You don't dare make the white boss frown
Our survival depends on pleasing our white supervisor.

Bend your knees and bow your head
We must show subservience and humility to our white boss through body language.

And pull that rope until you're dead
Our work will never end until we die.

Let me go 'way from the Mississippi
I want to leave this place and find a better life elsewhere.

Let me go 'way from the white man boss
I want to escape the grip of my white supervisor.

Show me that stream called the River Jordan
I seek the metaphorical River Jordan, a symbol of freedom for African Americans.

That's the old stream that I long to cross
I want to leave this life and pass on to the next one.

Old Man River, that Old Man River
The Mississippi River is personified as a wise and knowing elder.

He must know something, but he don't say nothing
The river seems to know secrets but keeps them to itself.

He just keeps rolling, he keeps on rolling along
The river never stops flowing, regardless of our struggles or triumphs.

He don't plant taters, and he don't plant cotton
The river does not sow any crops or harvest any cotton, but is still important to the economy of the area.

And them what plants 'em is soon forgotten
The laborers who farm the land will be forgotten eventually.

But Old Man River, jest keeps rolling along
Despite our labor and hardships, the river will continue its flow.

You and me, we sweat and strain
We work hard and exhaust ourselves.

Bodies all aching and wracked with pain
Our bodies are in constant pain and suffering.

Tote that barge and lift that bale
We must carry heavy loads tirelessly.

You get a little drunk and you land in jail
Turning to alcohol is a common way of coping with our difficult lives, but it often leads to incarceration.

I get weary and so sick of trying
I am exhausted and losing hope.

I'm tired of living, but I'm feared of dying
I am unhappy with my life, but afraid of the unknowns of death.

And Old Man River, he just keeps rolling along
Despite our struggles and anguish, the river remains unchanged, a constant reminder of our condition.