Don't look up, you don't look down. The rich boss speaks and he wears a frown.
Tote that garage and lift that bill. You get a little drunk and you land in jail.
Got an old man in the river, old man in the river.
He don't say nothing, but he must know something.
Because he keeps on rolling, I said, don't you know?
He keeps on rolling right along.
He moves and he moves along. Old man in the river, he moves along.
Old man, he moves along.
He don't plantain us. No, he don't. He don't plant cotton.
And them that plant some are soon forgotten.
Because of that old man in the river, don't you know, I said?
How he moves, how he moves, how he moves right along.
He moves and he moves right along. Old man in the river, how he moves right along.
Old man, he moves and he moves right along.
You and none of me, don't you know, I said?
How we sweat and strain and die.
Our bodies, our bodies all aching and wrapped up, wrapped up with the pain.
And the man says, Tote that garage.
And when he says lift, you lift that veil up.
And you go again, you get a little drunk.
And the man comes and he throws you, throws you by the jaw.
I'm tired of hearing you.
I'm sick, I'm sick of crying.
I'm tired of believing, but I'm scared of dying.
Because of that old man in the river, don't you know, I said?
How he moves, how he moves, how he moves right along.
How he moves and he moves right along.
Old man in the river, how he moves right along.
How he moves and he moves right along.
Old man in the river, how he moves, how he moves, how he moves right along.