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Wolfgang Gartner Lyrics


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Here we all work 'long the Mississippi
Here we all work, while the white boys play
Gettin' no rest from the dawn till the sunset
Gettin' no rest till the judgment day

You don't look up, you don't look down
You don't dare make the rich boss frown
Bend your knees and bow your head
And tote that barge until you're dead

Let me go away from the Mississippi
Let me go away from the rich man boss
Show me that stream called the River of Jordan
That's the old stream that I long to cross

Old Man River, Old Man River
He don't say nothin', he must know somethin'
Old Man River, he just keeps rollin' along

You know, you know he don't plant taters
And we all know the man don't plant no cotton
And then, then they plant 'em
Oh the Lord knows they are soon forgotten
But Old Man River, he just keeps rollin' along

You, you and me, you know sometimes
We have to we have to sweat, sweat and strain
Our bodies, our bodies are all achin'
And wracked with a whole lot of pain

Tote that barge, lift that bale, you get a little drunk
And you land in jail

I get weary and so sick of tryin'
I'm tired of livin', and afraid of dyin'




But Old Man River, he just keeps rollin' a
Old Man River, he just keeps rollin' along

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song "Old Man River" by Wolfgang Gartner are borrowed from a classic American folk song composed by Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern originally written for the musical "Show Boat." The song revolves around an African-American worker's experience of working on the Mississippi River. The first verse talks about how the workers are busy working while the white boys play, and there is no rest till judgment day. The refrain talks about Old Man River as an unstoppable force who just keeps rolling along, and he must know something as he doesn't say anything.


The second verse addresses the plight of the workers, who don't have the liberty to look up or down or make their rich bosses frown, and they work until they die. The third verse expresses the desire of the singer to escape to a place where they can find peace and take refuge from the rich man's control. The fourth verse emphasizes Old Man River's role as a silent witness, who doesn't plant taters or cotton and yet keeps moving ahead, while the fifth verse stresses the labor pain and frustration experienced by the workers. The final refrain reinforces the notion that Old Man River is an unrelenting entity, who just keeps moving forward.


Line by Line Meaning

Here we all work 'long the Mississippi
We all work hard, laboring relentlessly toward our goals, just like workers along the Mississippi river.


Here we all work, while the white boys play
While some people enjoy the privilege of leisure, we work tirelessly, without rest or reprieve.


Gettin' no rest from the dawn till the sunset
We work incessantly, from the break of dawn until the fall of night, without a moment's rest or time to recuperate.


Gettin' no rest till the judgment day
We labor without a break, without the luxury of ever taking a breather, until the final day of reckoning.


You don't look up, you don't look down
In order to avoid the wrath of the wealthy elite, we submit to their demands, keeping our heads down and our attention focused on the task at hand.


You don't dare make the rich boss frown
Fearful of the consequences of upsetting those in power, we are careful not to do anything that might displease our wealthy overlords.


Bend your knees and bow your head
Toiling beneath the gaze of the wealthy elite, we lower ourselves in submission, willing to do whatever it takes to please them.


And tote that barge until you're dead
We carry on, unceasingly working, until we can no longer go on, until we have reached our inevitable end.


Let me go away from the Mississippi
We long for something more, something beyond this life of ceaseless labor, something that might offer some kind of release or respite.


Let me go away from the rich man boss
We dream of escaping the clutches of the wealthy elite, leaving behind their oppressive yoke and starting anew.


Show me that stream called the River of Jordan
We seek a spiritual awakening, a moment of enlightenment that might wash away the burdens of our daily lives and offer us a glimpse of something more transcendent.


That's the old stream that I long to cross
We long to leave behind the world of toil and struggle, crossing over to a realm of peace and rest, where we might finally find solace.


Old Man River, Old Man River
The river becomes a symbol of the unrelentingly march of time, the force that rocks us along towards our eventual end.


He don't say nothin', he must know somethin'
The river, like time itself, moves inexorably forward, always pushing us onward, even as it remains silent and inscrutable.


Old Man River, he just keeps rollin' along
The relentless march of time and our daily lives continues incessantly, rolling onward like a great river that never ceases.


You know, you know he don't plant taters
As we labor day in and day out, we realize that much of what we do is futile, a fact that is reinforced by the realization that the river, like time, does not waste its energy on pointless tasks.


And we all know the man don't plant no cotton
The things we invest so much of our lives into are ultimately pointless, a realization reinforced by the fact that the only thing that time and the river seem to do is move onward, without concern for the futile efforts of human beings.


And then, then they plant 'em
Despite the realization that so much of what we do is pointless, we continue to labor, investing our energy and time into tasks that we know ultimately have little meaning or purpose.


Oh the Lord knows they are soon forgotten
We are aware that our efforts are ultimately futile, that the things we invest so much in will eventually be forgotten by time and the world.


But Old Man River, he just keeps rollin' along
Despite the realization of our own futility, time and the river continue to march forward relentlessly, rolling onward with an unstoppable momentum.


You, you and me, you know sometimes
We all experience moments of doubt and exhaustion, when the endless march of time and our daily struggles become too much to bear.


We have to we have to sweat, sweat and strain
Despite our weariness and doubts, we must continue to labor, to put in the work and effort required to get through life.


Our bodies, our bodies are all achin'
As we labor ceaselessly, our bodies and spirits become wearied and weakened, consumed by pain and exhaustion.


And wracked with a whole lot of pain
The struggle of daily life can be overwhelming, pushing us to the limits of our endurance and filling our lives with suffering and pain.


Tote that barge, lift that bale, you get a little drunk
Despite our misery, we continue to work, striving to find some respite or release from the daily grind, even if that means turning to vice or indulging in temporary pleasure.


And you land in jail
Sometimes our attempts to escape the misery of our lives lead us down dangerous paths, leading us to make choices that ultimately result in our own punishment or downfall.


I get weary and so sick of tryin'
As we continue to struggle and toil, we become frustrated and discouraged, growing weary of the ceaseless labor required to make it through life.


I'm tired of livin', and afraid of dyin'
We grow tired of life's struggles, weary of the endless cycle of toil and suffering, while at the same time fearing the inevitable end that awaits us all.


But Old Man River, he just keeps rollin' a
Despite our struggles and fears, time and the river continue to march forward relentlessly, a constant reminder of the futility of human existence.


Old Man River, he just keeps rollin' along
The river, like time, is an ever-present reminder of the inexorable march of life, rolling forward relentlessly, never pausing, never slowing, never stopping for even a moment.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Ultra Tunes
Written by: WEAVER, DEREK JOHN / GIBB, MAURICE ERNEST / GIBB, ROBIN HUGH / GIBB, BARRY ALAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@videoman191

crowd surfed to this song probably the best 15 SECONDS of my life

@EvanTheShade

2018. Can still confirm it's a DAMN good song!!!

@alexgrime3018

2023 still confirmed.

@KleWdSide

I used this song for the Boot Camp X-Class @ 24 Hour Fitness & let's just say.. it got one helluva response from the crowd!

@eeeyooohoh

wow THROWBACK. omg i miss early 2010s electro.

@RhythmAddictedState

2008-2012 was a great era for electro house

@savagelouie4498

It’s all big room and tech house now

@harryefellows

That synth at 1:11 gets me every time :D Amazing sounds

@jjmurillo8519

Wolfgang where you at bro??? We need you down here in South Padre Island , TX

@savge25

2:24  =  Gold

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