What key is "Ol' Man River" in?

"Ol' Man River" by Jerome Kern is in the key of C with a tempo of 100 BPM. Difficulty: very_easy.

Is "Ol' Man River" easy to play on piano?

This arrangement is rated very_easy. It requires comfort with chord shapes and basic hand independence. Expect 1-2 weeks of regular practice for a confident performance.

Can I play "Ol' Man River" without reading sheet music?

Yes. Our player offers a falling-notes mode (Synthesia-style) and a beginner mode with color-coded keys — both let you play along without reading traditional notation.

How long does it take to learn "Ol' Man River" on piano?

1–3 short practice sessions for the basics; 2–3 weeks to perform confidently with both hands.

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 available in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.

Lyrics

(C)Here we all work on de Mis sis (F)sip pi, (C)here we all work while de white (D7)folks (G7)play,

(C)pull in’ dose boats from de (C7)dawn to (F)sun set, (C)get tin’ no (Am)rest till de (D7)judge (G7)ment (C)day.

(Em)Don’t look (B7)up an’ (Em)don’t look (B7)down, you (Em)don’t dast (B7)make de (Em)white boss (B7)frown.

(Em)Bend yo’ (Am6)knees an’ (Em)bow yo’ (Am6)head, an’ (Em)pull dat (Am6)rope un (Em)til yo’re (Dm7)dead.

(C7)Let me go ’way from de Mis sis (F)sip pi, (A7)let me go ’way from de white men (Dm)boss, (Ddim)show me dat stream called de riv er (C)Jor dan, (Bb7)dat’s de ol’ stream dat I long (G7)to (C)cross.

(C)Ol’ man (Am)riv er.

dat (C)ol’ man (F)riv er, he (C)must know (F)sump in’, but (Am7)don’t say noth in’.

He (G7)jus’ keeps roll in’, he (G7)keeps on roll in’ a (C)long.

He don’t plant (Am)’ta ters, he (C)don’t plant (F)cot ton, an’ (Dm)dem dat plants ’em is (Ebdim)soon for got ten.

But (G7)ol’ man riv er, he (G7)jus’ keeps roll in’ a (C)long.

(Em)You an’ (B7)me,

we (Em)sweat an’ (B7)strain,

(Em)bod y all (B7)ach in’ an’ (Em)racked wid (B7)pain.

(Em)“Tote (Am6)dat barge!”

(Em)“Lift dat (Am6)bale.”

(Am)Git a lit tle (Am6)drunk an’ you (G7)land in jail.

(C)Ah gits (Am)wea ry an’ (C)sick of (F)try in’, Ah’m (G7)tired of liv in’ an’ (D7)skeered of dy in’, but (C)ol’ man (Am)riv er, he (G7)jus’ keeps roll in’ a (F)long.

Ol' Man River by Jerome Kern

Easy piano arrangement in the key of C at 100 BPM. Difficulty: very_easy. Color-coded notes — no sheet-reading skill required.

About “Ol' Man River”

What key is "Ol' Man River" in?: "Ol' Man River" by Jerome Kern is in the key of C with a tempo of 100 BPM. Difficulty: very_easy.
Is "Ol' Man River" easy to play on piano?: This arrangement is rated very_easy. It requires comfort with chord shapes and basic hand independence. Expect 1-2 weeks of regular practice for a confident performance.
Can I play "Ol' Man River" without reading sheet music?: Yes. Our player offers a falling-notes mode (Synthesia-style) and a beginner mode with color-coded keys — both let you play along without reading traditional notation.
How long does it take to learn "Ol' Man River" on piano?: 1–3 short practice sessions for the basics; 2–3 weeks to perform confidently with both hands.
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 available in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.