Other arrangements of Ol' Man River
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(C)Ol’ man (F)riv er, dat (C)ol’ man (F)riv er; he (C)must know (F)sump in’, but (C)don’t say noth in’.
He (Dm7)jus’ keeps (G7)roll in’, he (Dm7)keeps on (G7)roll in’ a (C)long.
He (C)don’t plant (F)’ta ters, he (C)don’t plant (F)cot ton, an’ (C)dem dat plants ’em is soon for (Ebdim)got ten.
But (Dm7)ol’ man (G7)riv er, he (Dm7)jus’ keeps (G7)roll in’ a (C)long.
(Em)You an’ (B7)me,
we (Em)sweat and (B7)strain,
(Em)bod y all (B7)ach in’ an’ (Em)racked wid (B7)pain.
(Em)“Tote dat (Am)barge!”
(Em)“Lift dat (Am)bale.”
(Em)Get a lit tle (Am)drunk an’ you (Em)land in (Dm)jail.
(C)Ah gits (F)wea ry an’ (C)sick of (F)try in’, ah’m (C)tired of (G7)liv in’ an’ (Am)skeered of (D7)dy in’, but (C)ol’ man (Am)riv er, he (Dm7)jus’ keeps (G7)roll in’ a (C)long.
Ol' Man River — Karaoke: Lyrics & Chords to Sing & Play Along
4 people have learned this song
Free karaoke for "Ol' Man River" by Jerome Kern: lyrics on screen with the chords above each line and a bouncing ball that lands on every word in time. Sing along, or play along on guitar or piano from the chord chart. Change the key to fit your voice, slow the tempo down. Key of C, 120 BPM.
Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.
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About “Ol' Man River”
- What key is "Ol' Man River" by Jerome Kern played in?
- Ol' Man River is arranged in the key of C on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Ol' Man River"?
- The arrangement plays at 120 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Ol' Man River" easy to play on piano?
- Yes — this is one of our beginner-friendly arrangements with simplified chords and color-coded notes.
- Can I download sheet music for "Ol' Man River"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Ol' Man River"?
- "Ol' Man River" was originally performed by Jerome Kern. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What other songs by Jerome Kern can I play here?
- Try "SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES", "NOBODY ELSE BUT ME", "WHY DO I LOVE YOU?". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is there a karaoke version of "Ol' Man River" with lyrics?
- Yes — this is a free karaoke slide for "Ol' Man River" by Jerome Kern. The lyrics appear on screen a line at a time and each word lights up exactly when it's sung, with a bouncing ball leading you word to word. A backing plays underneath so you can just sing.
- Does it show chords so I can play along on guitar or piano?
- It does — a chord symbol sits on a thin row just above the lyric it changes on, so the same screen doubles as a lyrics-and-chords chart. Guitarists can strum the changes and pianists can comp while singing; the chords are colour-coded and move with the live transpose if you change key.
- Can I change the key of "Ol' Man River" to match my voice or capo?
- Yes. The original is in C, but the live transpose control shifts the whole song up or down semitones until the melody sits in your range (or maps to an easier guitar shape / capo position) — the on-screen chords and the backing move with it.
- Can I slow "Ol' Man River" down to learn the words and chords?
- Yes — the tempo control lets you take it as slow as you need while the lyrics still light up in time and the ball keeps you on the beat. Speed it back up once you can sing and play it through.