I was listening to a Ray Charles album yesterday while news of the flooding of the Mississippi was on the radio. Ray's voice was thick as if on drugs or booze or both, he sounded like he was about to start sobbing, he felt the words to this song with his soul.

It starts with the chorus singing:

"Here we all work on the Mississippi
here we all work while the white folk play
pullin' them boats from the dawn to sunset
gettin' no rest till the judgement day
don't look up, don't look down
don't dare make a white man frown
bend your knees and bow your head
and pull them boats until you're dead.
Let me go way from the Mississippi
let me go way from the white man boss
show me that stream called the River Jordan
that's the river I long to cross."

Then ray Charles sobbing voice sings:

"I know that river, that ole man river
he must know somethin'
the man don't say nothin'
he just keeps rollin,' rollin' along
he don't plant taters
he don't plant cotton
and them folk that plant 'em
I want you to know they're soon forgotten
but that ole man river
he just keep on rollin,' rollin along.

"You and me
we got to sweat and strain
bodies all achin
wracked with pain
somebody said tote that barge
lift that bale
and if you drink a little Scotch
you gonna land in jail."

"You know I get weary
and so sick of tryin'
I'm tired of livin'
but I'm scared, scared of dying
but that ole man river
I say he just keep rollin'
rollin' along"(Ray Charles voice almost in tears as he finishes.)

great song. susil