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!