The Way It Was

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.