Ol' Man River
Jerome Kern (m), Oscar Hammerstein II (w)
Show Boat, 1927
VERSE
Colored folks work on de Mississippi,
Colored folks work while de white folks play,
Pullin' does boats from de dawn to sunset,
Gittin' no rest till de judgement day.
Don't look up an' don't look down,
You don't dast make de white boss frown;
Bend yo' knees an' bow yo' head,
An' pull dat rope until yo're dead.
Let me go 'way from de Mississippi,
Let me go 'way from de white men boss,
Show me dat stream called de river Jordan,
Dat's de ol' stream dat I long to cross.
BURTHEN
Ol' man river,
Dat ol' man river,
He must know sumpin',
But don't say nothin'
He jus' keeps rollin'
He keeps on rollin' a long.
He don't plant 'taters,
He don't plant cotton,
An' dem dat plants 'em is soon forgotten;
But ol' man river he jus' keeps rollin' along.
You an' me, we sweat an' strain,
Body all achin' an' racked wid pain.
"Tote dat barge!"
"Lift dat bale",
Git a little drunk an' you land in jail.
Ah fits weary an' sick of tryin'
Ah'm tired o flivin'
An' skeered of dyin'
But Ol' man river he jus' keeps rollin' along.
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| Recorded | Performers | Label | Cat.# | Matrix |
|
|
| | Luis Russell & His Orchestra | Banner | 33179 | 15576 |
| | Fenton Orchestra | Bell | 597 | X1136 |
| | Paul Robeson With Victor Young And Brunswick Orchestra | Brunswick | 20114 | BX 12096 |
| | Pied Pipers | Capitol | 279 | |
| | Gordon Macrae | Capitol | 1705 | |
| | Joe Bushkin | Columbia | 39618 | ZSP8857 |
| | Paul Robeson With Victor Young Orchestra | Columbia | 55004 | |
| | Frank Sinatra (Axel Stordahl Orch) | Columbia | 55037 | XCO33934 |
| | Bing Crosby | Decca | 29850 | L8848 |
| | Dick Haymes | Decca | 40151 | |
| | Jan August | Mercury | 1058 | 1404 |
| | Charlie Ventura's Big Four | Mercury | 8957 | C599 |
| | RavEnsemble | Mercury | 70554 | |
| | Bix Beiderbecke & His Gang | Okeh | 41088 | 400994 |
| | Oscar Natzke (b) | Parlophone | E 11433 | |
| | Chautauqua Preachers Quartet | Pathé | 20342A | T66587 |
| | Willard Robison & His Orchestra | Pathé Actuelle | 32349 | 108069 |
| | Willard Robison & His Orchestra | Pathé Actuelle | 36763 | 108045 |
| | Deep River Orchestra | Pathé Actuelle | 36976 | 108045 |
| | Willard Robison | Perfect | 12428 | 108069 |
| | Tito Rodriguez | RCA Victor | 20-6075 | |
| | Russell Luis | Romeo | 2355 | 15576 |
| | Silvertone Dance Orchestra | Silvertone | 8035 | |
| | Radio City Music Hall Glee Cl | Victor | 27905 | |
| 12/27/1927 | Ken Sisson & His Orchestra | Brunswick | 3766-A | E25772 |
| 01/07/1928 | Don Voorhees & His Orchestra | Columbia | 1284-D | W145486 |
| 01/11/1928 | Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra | Bluebird | B8929 | 41607 |
| 01/11/1928 | Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra | Victor | 21218 | 41607 |
| 01/11/1928 | Revelers | Victor | 21241 | 41539 |
| 01/11/1928 | Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra | Victor | 25249 | 41607 |
| 01/17/1928 | Goodrich Silvertown Quartet | Columbia | 1304-D | W145535 |
| 02/14/1928 | Miami Royal Po (W.Robison) | Cameo | 8186 | 2889 |
| 02/14/1928 | Willard Robison & His Orchestra | Pathé | 11552 | 108045 |
| 02/14/1928 | Willard Robison & His Orchestra | Perfect | 14944 | 108045 |
| 02/14/1928 | Deep River Orchestra (W.Robison) | Perfect | 15157 | 108045 |
| 02/14/1928 | Miami Royal Po (W.Robison) | Romeo | 616 | 2889 |
| 03/01/1928 | Paul Whiteman And His Concert Orchestra | Victor | 35912-A | 43122 |
| 03/03/1928 | Lou Raderman's Pelham Inn Orchestra | Harmony | 607-H | 145722 |
| 03/03/1928 | Lou Raderman's Pelham Inn Orchestra | Velvet Tone | 1607-V | 145722 |
| 03/08/1928 | Al Jolson W Bill Wirges Orchestra | Brunswick | 3867 | 26880 |
| 03/08/1928 | Rex Gordon's Aces | Champion | 15459! | X1136 |
| 03/08/1928 | Carl Fenton New Yorkers | Gennett | 6428 | X1136 |
| 03/31/1928 | Ben Bernie & His Orchestra | Brunswick | 20064 | E27235/6/8 |
| 07/07/1928 | Bix Beiderbecke & His Gang | Columbia | 35666 | W400994 |
| 09/08/1928 | Sammy Stewart Orchestra | Vocalion | 15724 | C2304 |
| 05/02/1929 | Buddy Blue & His Texans | Banner | 6411 | 8782 |
| 05/29/1929 | Buddy Blue's Texans | Conqueror | 7369 | 8782 |
| 05/29/1929 | Gary Dawson's Collegiates | Oriole | 1596 | 8782 |
| 05/29/1929 | Buddy Blue & His Texans | Regal | 8805 | 8782 |
| 10/03/1933 | Horace Henderson & His Orchestra | Decca | 18172-B | W265152 |
| 02/03/1934 | Casa Loma Orchestra | Brunswick | 6800 | 14774 |
| 08/08/1934 | Luis Russell & His Orchestra | Melotone | M13146 | 15576 |
| 08/08/1934 | Luis Russell & His Orchestra | Oriole | 2981 | 15576 |
| 08/08/1934 | Luis Russell & His Orchestra | Perfect | 15995B | 15576 |
| 10/03/1934 | Tiny Bradshaw & His Orchestra | Decca | 236-A | 38785 |
| 05/07/1936 | Henry King & His Orchestra | Decca | 801-B | 61089 |
| 05/18/1936 | Paul Robeson | Victor | 25376 | OEA2935 |
| 06/01/1936 | Putney Dandridge | Vocalion | 3269-A | 19354 |
| 01/24/1938 | Golden Crown Quartet | Bluebird | B8190 | 018635 |
| 04/04/1938 | Cootie Williams Rug Cutters | Vocalion | 4086 | M804 |
| 10/26/1938 | Clyde Mccoy & His Orchestra | Decca | 2217-B | 64707 |
| 05/27/1939 | Martha Raye W Dave Rose Orchestra | Brunswick | 8433 | LA1894 |
| 05/27/1939 | Martha Raye W David Rose | Columbia | 36322 | LA1894 |
| 03/11/1940 | Sub Mosley & His Band | Decca | 7768 | 67289 |
| 07/26/1940 | Al Goodman & His Orchestra | Columbia | 35757 | WCO28051 |
| 01/22/1941 | Harry James & His Orchestra | Columbia | 36023 | CO29543 |
| 03/06/1941 | Decca Salon Orchestra | Decca | 18153-A | 68786 |
| 04/17/1941 | Henry Red Allen & His Orchestra | Okeh | 6281 | CO30273 |
| 06/20/1944 | Fred Waring | Decca | 29191 | 72269 |
| 11/13/1945 | Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra | RCA Victor | 20-1785 | D5VB0925 |
| 12/31/1945 | Bing Crosby (Camarata Orch) | Decca | 23678-B | 73262 |
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Year | Title | Medium | Type | Usage |
|
|
1927 | Show Boat | stage | stage original | introduced |