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Old Man River

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Gmajor

90BPM

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Old Man River  Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II
[Intro]
G Em G Em
There's an oGld man caEmlled the MCississAm7ippi
That's the oGld man thEmat I Em7wants to Am7beD7  
What does Ghe care iG7f the world's got tCroublAm7e?
What does Ghe cEmare Amif the lD7and ain't Gfree?
[Verse 1]
GOld Man REmiver, that OGld Man RiEmver,
He mGust know Dsomething, but he doEmn't say nGdimothing,
He juAmst keeps roDllin;  he kAm7eeps on Drollin aGlongEm  G  Em  
[Verse 2]
He doGn't plant taEmters, he dGon't plant cEmotton,
and thGem that plD7ants them are soEmon forGdimgotten
But OAmld Man RDiver, he jAm7ust keeps rolDling alGong.Em  G  F#7  
[Bridge]
BmYou and Emme, we sBmweat and sEmtrain,
BmBody all aEmching and rBmacked with pEmain.
TBmote that F#7barge, and lBmift that bF#7ale,
BmYou get a little dF#7runk and you lBmands in jAmail.D  
[Verse 3]
GI get wEmeary, and sGick of tEmrying,
I'm tiGred of liviDng, and sEmcared of dyA7ing,
But OlGd Man RiEmver, he jAm7ust keeps roDlling alGong.Em  Am7  C  G  

All chords in this song (13)

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Old Man River

by William Warfield

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

Am7

Em7

Gdim

F#7

Old Man River Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II

[Intro]

G Em G Em

G Em C Am7

There's an old man called the Mississippi

G Em Em7 Am7 D7

That's the old man that I wants to be

G G7 C Am7

What does he care if the world's got trouble?

G Em Am D7 G

What does he care if the land ain't free?

[Verse 1]

G Em G Em

Old Man River, that Old Man River,

G D Em Gdim

He must know something, but he don't say nothing,

Am D Am7 D G Em G Em

He just keeps rollin; he keeps on rollin along

[Verse 2]

G Em G Em

He don't plant taters, he don't plant cotton,

G D7 Em Gdim

and them that plants them are soon forgotten

Am D Am7 D G Em G F#7

But Old Man River, he just keeps rolling along.

[Bridge]

Bm Em Bm Em

You and me, we sweat and strain,

Bm Em Bm Em

Body all aching and racked with pain.

Bm F#7 Bm F#7

Tote that barge, and lift that bale,

Bm F#7 Bm Am D

You get a little drunk and you lands in jail.

[Verse 3]

G Em G Em

I get weary, and sick of trying,

G D Em A7

I'm tired of living, and scared of dying,

G Em Am7 D G Em Am7 C G

But Old Man River, he just keeps rolling along.

About Old Man River Chords by William Warfield

Learn how to play Old Man River by William Warfield with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Old Man River chords”, “Old Man River guitar chords”, or “William Warfield Old Man River chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Old Man River chords and for experienced players who want accurate Old Man River lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include G, Em, C, Am7, Em7, D7.

FAQ — Old Man River by William Warfield

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What key is "Old Man River" in?

The chords for "Old Man River" show the original chord names (including G, Em, C, Am7, Em7, D7). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.