Charles, Ray - Ol' Man River Lyrics

Brother Ray at his best!!! Great quality, thanks for sharing... Those who never got to see him live definitely missed a great experience... Gone BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN...

Wonderful in voice from Ray Charles.

This song brings me to tears everytime. My ole man introduced me to this song. At first glance or hearing, this song genre wise is what is regarded as the Negro spiritual: A new world and a feeling of displacement. Despite that Ray Charles was blind, he felt everything, and he knew that every human being experienced suffering no matter the time, location or ethnicity of the individual. All of us eventually die. Death: the great neutralizer has surpassed our idols, our prejudices, our perceptions, religion and customs , but the Mississippi River just keeps on a rolling. I sense an eternal love in this song. Some kind of breakthrough is happening, a transformation.

Don't look up, don't look down, better not make SGT Franke White Frown!!

Paul Robeson version is much better, the voice and the music is so beautiful. Ray Charles changed the rendition and the music

Many have sung this song but only Ray made us FEEL it. The most incredible rendition of this classic ever done.

there's an account of this session in the biography of Aretha Franklin "Respect" by David Ritz. He [or the guy he's interviewing?] says Ray was nodding out on drugs at the beginning of this song, but had tears rolling down his cheeks by the end.

Soulful

@cronica

Hi, i'am Robbie and I liked from me exorcism 💗

The best version EVER!!!

You had me at, "I noticed that there is only one Ray Charles".

I wish i was born of the Spirit of Blues .
The Spirit Unites All !
United States of Blues

46 dislike from white men bosses..

Outstanding, superior, excellent, great, owesome, infinity......!

At 2:23 you can hear what sounds like the producer reminds g him That the next verse begins with "He don't plant taters."

No didnt want that known to me come on man

The truth will set you free.

On atteint ici la perfection.

#ugottalisten2b4udie 1:28

I like this version very much...

Happy Birthday Ray Charles 🎈
With my Edit of "Shake Your Tail Feather": https://youtu.be/Q_7WeSjbziY ❗️

i thought...i know all from mr.charles....oh my god...thank you mr.genius...i dont believe in god...but when i hear this version...maybe there is something....in heaven...thank you...

many thanks. my favorite interpretation.

Divin pour l' éternité.

Truly a man and his soul reflected here... awesome

Just read in a biography of RC that Ray had a cold when he recorded this song. Still sounds great to me! He can't do a bad job on any song as far as I'm concerned. Brother Ray is the best, the Genius!

been listening to this version since I was a kid still the best....

Now I know whom the Madonna's song ,,Ray of Light'' was dedicated to! It was him!

I'm a Brother Ray fan but I'd prefer less back-up singing, more Pure Ray! You know, the Genius himself! Thanks for uploading this.

Judy Bingham yep, I agree !

From a black man who knows from what he is singing about. Not Soul - Feeling!!!

Art at its best form

I am a huge Ray fan and I agree this version by him is at the very top of the list of versions available. But funnily enough I first heard this on the Tom Hanks film Joe versus the Volcano can remember the imagery to this day . It fit in perfectly with that film moment of the bereft Joe after being told he is gonna die.

roop46b that's how I know this song and it'll always be my favorite movie and song

Joe vs the Volcano had a profound effect on me. So many times, over how many years now, Joe`s simple wisdom has pulled me through.

Thank you!

All I can say is thank you

It's hard to choose between this version and the original version

yeh , you mean PAUL ROBESON i suppose , i agree  but ray's version is  magistral !!!!!!

@ALBARO9147 I actually don't remember anymore...

You don't have to choose. You can listen to both of them, and appreciate each one for what it is.

this a beautiful rendition of a helluva song, but why the "angelic choir"? Ray Charles could have done the song just fine; just him, the piano, and some raw, downhome soul.

A number of black musicians needed the "angelic choir" in the background in order to appeal to a wider sic whiter audience. So it goes.

Strong strong!

#‎OdedFriedGaon ‪#OdedMusic Oded

When I heard this version for the first time I loved it and I thought: "this is the definitive version!"

C'est vraie, c'est maaagniiiifique !!!!!!

everything Ray did was the definitive version.

I'm tired of living but I'm scared of dying.

CHILLS*

I wish this version was on ITunes. Such a good song.

Yes,it sounds like this was Joe vs the Volcano,I love this version,great ,great tune thank you.

The tao of the river.

David Morrison hahah yes!

Thank you! I believe this version is from "A Man and his Soul." I own that album on plastic 33. Great cut!

+rosie tallon Joe Versus The Volcano as well...enchanting and powerful!

THANK YOU FOR POSTING

Quelle pure merveille ... un simple lingot d'or brut de démoulage ... Comme son interprète !

Just the must ...

je crois que c'est la plus belle version que je connaisse.PAUL ROBESON , oui , bien sûr , mais RAY CHARLES , quelle finesse ! SUPERBE !

ALBARO9147 I agree with you completely!🙂

This is such a beautiful and soulful  interpretation  expressing the heartaches and cries of a balck man in the darkest days of the Afro-American  history.  I am a Filipino but I can feel their pain and sufferings  from the lyrics and melody of this iconic song.

THE GENIUS!

O genio

Selma soundtrack has nothing on this.

thank you my friend

All the versions by all the artist, not one will sing the original words written of this song.  Sad!

You could do it.

Can it get any better than this? !!!

Here we all work, on the Mississippi
Here we all work, while the white folk play
Pulling them boats from the dawn till sunset
Getting no rest till the judgment day
Don't look up and don't look down
You don't dare make a white man frown
Bend your knees and bow your head
And pull that rope until you're dead
Let me go away from the Mississippi
Let me go away from the white man boss
Show me that stream called the River Jordan
That's the old stream that I long to cross
I know that Old Man River, that Old Man River
He must know something, the man don't say nothing
I know he just keep on rolling
I want you to know he keeps on rolling along
He don't plant tatters, he don't plant cotton
And them folk they plant them
I want you to know they're soon forgotten
But Old Man River, somehow he just keep on rolling, rolling along
You and me, we got to sweat and strain
Body's all aching and racked with pain
Tote that barge, somebody said, "Lift that bail"
You drink a little scotch, I want you to know, you going to land in jail
You know I get weary and so sick of trying
I'm tired of living, but I'm scared, I'm scared of dying
But that Old Man and the river, I say he just
The man just keep rolling on

I don't believe it can.

NOBODY is better than RAY , different , yes , but better , no one.

Ray was one of a kind.

Amen brother. The High Priest

Joe versus the volcano brought me here!

Lawguy2009 Indeed!

I remember that Joe Vs the Volcano didn't do very well because people expected tom hanks humor and it was marketed like that as well but no one understood it was a fairy tale. the director wanted an old fashion movie with Once upon a time... and ...they lived happily ever after.

the first 30 minutes of that movie are as good as any movie in history.

The moment Joe straightens that dandelion out before he goes to tell off his boss... Goosebumps everytime. Lots of great music in that movie.

The best version. Without doubt. Thank for recording.

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  We are so lucky to have audio and video of perhaps the greatest singer in recorded history!!

+gsdsteve you got that right

will never be surpassed

Thank you so  much for making this available. Incredible version... brings me to tears when he sings "I get weary and sick of tryin'..."

cuz he's crying too

@Rob Wilson Actually when he recorded this he had the flu which gives it that effect.

For the 17 that put thumbs down, it must be horrible to be tone deaf.

If you can't dig Ray, I am very very sorry for you.

They have no souls

Soulful music and deeper lyrics.  The best!

very beautiful

16 thumbs down -- what the heck is wrong with people?

Taylor swif fans, so obviously they don't have an understanding of music.

Ray sings that so wonderful, İ get tears in mt eyes

+Richard Vaitl me too

Wholl stop the rain

Believe it or not, the move "Joe vs. The Volcano" brought me here. I love Ray and I love this track. Thanks!

This song resonates something deep inside. Something inherent to me and mine. I don't know what it is but it's a kind of reverence.

Who cares what you like?

who caers what you like?

He couldn't read the lyrics.

I doubt that in these days there were machines for such a task. I would say it is a real human person prompting him. And I also doubt that the technology of then allowed to "computerize" the choir. FOLKS! Get real. They just knew how real singing is done, unlike in our days (see America - or whoever - has talent).

Thanks for posting. As much as I like Paul Robeson's version I always liked Ray's version better. It is one of my favorite songs by him and that covers a bunch of ground.

Thanks for uploading......love it

That piano work is beyond belief!!!

Great song. Great interpretation.

ever so grateful, for this ;)

Ray Charles Special - in Italy in 1969

Thanks for sharing!

WONDERFUL, MARVELOUS, HARD TO BELIEVE, ENJOYING ARTISTS AND SINGERS I KNEW SINCE I WAS A CHILD. THANKS TO BOD AND YOU TUBE

interpretation d'une beaute emotionelle intense;on est pres des larmes.JPV

Very emotional...Always brings tears to my eyes

what the hell is that

good song :)

he's a fuckin' cheater

you sure about that? I think the choir is computerized but I turned the volume way up and with my ears didn't hear much. You sure that the choir and it's voices didn't sound like something else?

oh la la! les personnes francais...

love this song so much x

Chcę umrzeć :(

The bridge at 3.16 is mersmerizing. The perfection involved in the instrumentation, especially the wailing violin, sinks deep into the soul. See, Ray was a colossus. His death marked the end of an era, an irreplaceable and unfillable gap in the realms of true music. Does Ray have any sons alive that are strutting his stuff? Anybody, please help. Kofi, Ghana.

Une des plus belles chansons, interprétée par une des plus belles voix ...

if you listen a lot to old records & tapes like i do, you notice this happening all the time. I think it's a kind of echo what's going to come.

WOW, the anticipation and the suspense when you're just waiting for his voice to come in is incredible!

in which album is this song?

Isn`t this just marvelous !!!

Thanks so much, my dear Chris180Z, a perfect song. I love the Genious of Ray Charles... and this song is a masterpiece!

Great piece of music.thanks for putting it up..

Thanks for posting. Can't find this in iTunes. Beautiful song. No one did it like Ray.

@chazdesimone If I had to choose only one RC song it would be a bunch of them..... : )
Unlike some of the fans I don't really have an opinion of the orchestra and back up singers but I would have liked to have heard it with just Ray and the piano just to see. It's hard for anyone to screw up a Ray Charles song no matter how they arrange it.

@tlee51ftw If I had to choose only one RC song it would be this one. You can hear the genuine strife in his singing here, and I was told he was going through a rough time and they caught the mood in just one take. "...and so ssssick of trying..." says it all. I actually like the backup singers and rich orchestration (the singers could be more gospelly, though).

Love this version of a Classic song, by one of the greatest song interpreters ever. Got to admit I love the singers on this too - an awesome track. Thanks for uploading.