Ol' man riv-er, dat ol' man riv-er,
He must know sump-in', but don't say noth-in', 
He jus' keeps roll-in', He keeps on roll-in' a - long.___________

He don't plant 'ta-ters, he don't plant cot-ton,
An' dem plants 'em  is  soon  for - got-ten,
But ol' man riv-er, he jus' keeps roll-in'   a - long.___________

You an' me,  we sweat and strain,  
Bo- dy all ach- in' an' racked  wid pain.
"Tote dat barge!"  "Lift dat bale," 
Git a lit- tle drunk   an'  you land  in   jail.

Ah gits wea-ry   an' sick of try-in' 
Ah'm tired of liv-in'  An' skeered  of   dy- in',
But ol'  man  riv-er,  he jus',  keeps  roll- in'  a-long._______
 

Circa 1927
Words by Oscar Hammerstein II
Music by Jerome Kern