“Ol' Man River”

Cultural  

1. A song from the musical Show Boat; the river is the Mississippi River. The music to “Ol' Man River” is by Jerome Kern and the words by Oscar Hammerstein II; it was memorably sung by Paul Robeson.

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“Ol' Man River”

For a long time, “Ol’ Man River” became the go-to American art song for concert singers, but it also has a rich history of jazz and swing interpretations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

The following year, Peluso starred in the 2016 West End revival of “Show Boat,” a musical he had connected with — particularly its song “Ol’ Man River” — when he was a young actor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2023

“Ol’ Man River” is most closely associated with the stentorian African-American singer, actor, and activist Paul Robeson.

From The New Yorker ● Mar. 17, 2015

But while there are haunting references to “Ol’ Man River” and, naturally, the blues, the guitarist ultimately realized it was pointless to trot out all these genres, textbook-style.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 1, 2013

Mr. Taylor sounded less than comfortable in soupy arrangements of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “Shall We Dance?,” but, guitar in hands, he made “Ol’ Man River” something of his own.

From New York Times ● Jul. 16, 2012