Other arrangements of Ol' Man River
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(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 — Easy Piano Notes for Beginners
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Learn "Ol' Man River" on piano with easy notes — perfect for absolute beginners. Large color-coded note names show exactly which keys to press. No music reading required. Key of C, 100 BPM.
Tip: Break this song into sections and master each one separately. The speed control lets you drill difficult passages at any tempo.
Try other practice modes:
About “Ol' Man River”
- Can I play "Ol' Man River" without reading sheet music?
- Yes — Easy Notes mode prints the letter name (C, D, E…) directly on each note in big color-coded labels, so you can match colors to your keyboard without any traditional notation. The whole arrangement of "Ol' Man River" is playable in minutes, even for first-time players.
- 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 100 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Ol' Man River" easy to play on piano?
- This is an advanced arrangement. We recommend breaking it into sections and using the speed control to drill harder passages.
- 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.
- Can a complete beginner play "Ol' Man River"?
- Absolutely! The Beginner mode shows large color-coded notes with letter names (C, D, E...). Just match the colors to your keyboard — no music reading needed. "Ol' Man River" is simplified for beginners.
- Do I need to read music to play "Ol' Man River"?
- No! Our Beginner mode replaces traditional notation with color-coded letter names. Each note shows exactly which key to press. You can start playing "Ol' Man River" in minutes, even if you've never touched a piano before.