Old Man River出自百老汇史上最经典、最悠久的一部音乐剧Showboat，那还是在上世纪二十年代的时候。这部音乐剧讲述了密西西比河上一艘演艺画舫中的故 事，这个故事本身时间跨度就长达四十多年。这首Old Man River唱的就是长流不息的密西西比河，由当时的黑人男低音歌手Paul Robeson演唱。他在音乐剧中饰演的不过是一个小配角，这首歌却被他演绎出一股直击人心的深沉力量，Showboat这个故事的原作者在彩排的时候， 听到这首歌都潸然泪下。
Artist：Paul Robeson
Song：Old Man River
There is an old man called Mississippi,
That's the old man I don't like to be.
What does he care if the world' d got troubles,
What does he care if the land ain' t free.
Don' t look up, and don' t look down !
You don't just make the white boss frown,
Bend your knees and bow your head,
And pull that rope until you're dead!
Let me go way from the Mississippi,
Let me go way from the white man boss.
Show me that stream call de river Jordan,
Dat de old stream dat I long to cross.
Old man river,
Dat old man river!
He must know something,
But don't say nothing.
He just keeps rolling,
He keeps on rolling along.
He don' t plant tatoes,
He don' t plant cotton,
And dem dat plant'em is soon forgotten,
But old man river,
He just keeps rolling along.
You and me we sweat and strain,
Body all aching and rocked wid pain.
Tote dat barge and lift dat bale,
Get a little drunk and you'll land in jail.
But I keep laughing instead of crying,
I must keep fighting until I'm dying,
But old man river,
He just keeps rolling along