Feb
25
Submitted by webmaster on Thu, 02/25/2010 - 12:46
Posted by 222pj222
October 28, 2008
Video Summary:
From Showboat's 2nd version (1936) Paul Robeson - Ol' Man River Ol' (Jerome Kern - Oscar Hammerstein II)
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2 comments
Selected comments from
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(1 – 500 out of (646 total as of 2/25/2010 1:00 pm)
Captantin (9 months ago) I can't get over how beautiful this. I just can't get over it (and I don't want to.) Thanks for uploading this!
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lutomsky (8 months ago) WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!
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SnjKakashiSensei (8 months ago) If he wasn't so amazing already, that smile at the end will get you. <3
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SovietUnionRedStar (8 months ago) This video makes me so sad, he was a wonderful man, But he was called an enemy of his own country, and died young!
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MARIAtheGREEK15 (8 months ago) wow ! wat a voice ! (:
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peskirabbit (8 months ago) Fantastic song! Fantastic voice!
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luckychuck3 (7 months ago) Magnificent combination of imagery and world class singing. Remember that this was 1936.
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ImanIrishMom (7 months ago) I love Paul's voice. He brings much emotion to this song.
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leahcimber (7 months ago) This is and will remain one of the classic show tunes. A beautiful performance.
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iesicegetal (7 months ago) This is a fantastic performance. I saw this show a number of years ago, and it gave me shivers to hear the strength of the singers voice. It's too bad that today's popular music can't have such passion.
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Reyludd (7 months ago) POWERFULL SONG!!!
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popcorn4two (7 months ago) Excellent video. Thanks for loading it up. This song has a lot of history to it. Reminds me that all human beings are created equal.
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27thCrown (7 months ago) I love the melody
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jobedied (7 months ago) Paul Robsen is an American hero educated at Rutgers a man
who spoke the truth in a time of prejudice. Im one proud white boy who is thankful Im in the human family with beings like Paul. I can never know that degree of prejudice black people experienced and only offer my heart felt compassion for such hate . Thank you eternally Paul for not only standing up for yourself and black folks, but all humans.
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SnowSunbather (7 months ago) I've seen the stage show script (original version, complete with its controversial use of the N-word in the opening song) and as I recall these lyrics were written that way, with phonetic spellings of stereotypical speech. I don't know whether the written version was modified for the film or if it was Paul Robeson (noted for his very clear diction) who chose to sing it his way.
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Danman917 (7 months ago) One of the best bass baritones ever
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pedro1095 (6 months ago) A great song sang with emotion
These great singers might have passed away
But
Their songs have not
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DrakeGrad (6 months ago) Paul Robeson was a political figure and activist Maybe that is why there is always a political bent to the discussions. He was a leader in the progerssive movement
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steve0281 (6 months ago) I think the word you were actually searching for was "communist."
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obiwanobiwan13 (6 months ago) Forget anyone today- THAT's a voice...
Not just a great singing voice (and that's not to belittle his talent, if you know of a better baritone/bass I'd like to hear it) but really a voice of a people and a generation and a time.
And yet, no matter how much Paul Robeson is connected with his people, place and time, he still transcends it.
"I'm tired of livin' and scared of dyin'."
That might be one of the most eloquent and true statements about the human condition ever uttered........
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skinnerburgers (6 months ago) I love how deep the voice gets on "Iii get weary..."
Fantastic voice. Seriously, what happened to people who could sing? Now it seems all we have is pop stars who whine and moan through songs, adding extra ooooh yeahhhhs in unnecessary places.
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Littlemissmazda (6 months ago) Wow, this song is amazing! Paul Robeson was such an amazing singer!
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merlinmerry (6 months ago) Magnificent voice! THIS is a classic!
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charliephayer123 (6 months ago) i really like this song, his voice is really excellent
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hebdag44 (6 months ago) My favourite musical. Whenever I see a stage production this song always stops the show - whoever sings it!
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guitaristnumbahone (5 months ago) now thats a bass
MAGNIFICENT
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amsquare (5 months ago) Paul Robeson, simply the best ever. A great man . Intellectual, scholar, athlete, and great singer. May he rest in peace
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KalleVL (5 months ago) Yeah! He was one of the great american singers:-)
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stevevandien (5 months ago) Very much agreed:) --
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796824 (5 months ago) Paul Robeson was brilliant, Phi Beta Kappa, a linguist, and an artist who also performed Othello.
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Hyan1998 (5 months ago) Cool
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msteven515 (5 months ago) There is a building at enn State that carries his name. Paul is a national treasure.
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nicodagger (5 months ago) I first heard this song when I was about 8, and I remember hearing the line "I'm tired of livin and scared of dyin'" and thinking 'I feel that way"..because of Paul Robeson's magnificant performance. I wish he was around today.
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punkingale (5 months ago) Great video. I just learned he's a graduate of Rutgers and Columbia Law School.
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boldello (5 months ago) Plus he was an All Amercan football player at Rutgers 1917 - 1918.
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bigbadnewman (5 months ago) That was when blacks did GOOD music!
Not like the foul gangsta rap of today!!
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bharrisn (5 months ago) not every black person is a gangsta rapper and there are white rappers. try to be a little less stereotyping and relax
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villagorilla (5 months ago) This is the best thing I have ever heard
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Springywater (4 months ago) One of the bes singers in history.
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rathlos123 (4 months ago) he has the purest voice in like ever!
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libra61060 (4 months ago) Simply the Best
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eafanboyssuck (4 months ago) was he a communist or am i misinformed?
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Cppinne (4 months ago) He was.
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cncgenius1 (4 months ago) yes he was and frankly i don't blame him, communism promised equality, and even though it delivered something completely different, you can see how that could be appealing to a black man in a certain period of history.
peace and respect.
silverthumper (4 months ago) Why has the poster written the lyrics in that ridiculous format? Robeson doesn't sing the words the way they are written. In fact his diction and pronunciation are pretty much perfect English.
Strange.
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222pj222 (4 months ago) Sorry. I am no Paul Robeson to correct the lyrics as they were written. I thought it would be useful that people know how the lyrics are in the original. Sorry to hurt your knowledge. By the way, the book is also written "in that ridiculous format". Anywaty I can't hear, even if I try hard, He doesn't plant potatoes. Even Paul Robeson says clearly He don't plant taters.Thanks for your kind and wise words.
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silverthumper (4 months ago) Apologies, I didn't realise the lyrics had been written like that by the authors. I assumed it was some form of negro lyrical pastiche that you had penned.
Once again, apologies and thanks for sharing.
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trojanowl (4 months ago) And good for you!
If you are going to post something historical, make it accurate! 1936 was the days of the minstrel show, the Amos&Andy radio show, etc.
Don't let the ignorance of today's politcally correctness trained people get to you!
Hi clearly leaves the "g"s off of ing endings. He clearly says "dat" and "dem" and "wid". He substitues "darkie" for "colored folk". He says 'way not away. He even says "ya gits a liddle drunk" rather than the actually equally ruralized lyrics.
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trojanowl (4 months ago) The poster who claimed that his diction was perfect is a complete idiot, as are the posters who blamed YOU for the lyrics.
Robeson was an educated, wonderful man with a great voice. He was playing a CHARACTER in this movie.
GOD, all this PC is annoying! Gotta especially love the comment that "everyone was racist". How arrogant is that?
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mclefty1 (3 months ago) Anyone else find the altered spelling in the lyrics completely unnecessary? I don't think he ever says "ah" instead of "I" or "lek" instead of "like".
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lilbooker11 (3 months ago) m Yeah, I was just thinking that...
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ifuliki (3 months ago) It is important to know that this was written by two Jewish fellows at a time when both blacks and Jews were faced with unreasoned hatred and prejudice. It is a lovely song from a wonderful movie.
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racingrubberbiker (3 months ago) The very best movie version of "Showboat - much better than the MGM one. Not only for the incomparable paul Robeson, but also a charming Irene Dunne.
From a Welshman
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Fedproman (3 months ago) I can't believe anyone would even try to sing this song after hearing Paul Robeson sing it. Watch "The Voice" Frank Sinatra sing this. Not even in the same universe. Sorry Frank. Just think some of these people in this movie probably had grandparents who were still alive that actually were slaves. I love the juxtaposition of his expressions between 1:54 which seems to communicate the desperation of the black experience and then at the end when as if he sees the future and knows they will triumph
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feuip (3 months ago) I really like listening to Frank Sinatra's version. Not so much watching it since it's, like you said, not in the same universe. But I think it's a beatifull version to listen to. Not as good, but still good. Did you see Michel Bell's version that is here in youtube? it's very good too.
Sorry for any English mistakes.
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eyesorbe (3 months ago) He just makes it look so easy. Truly powerful!
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More comments from
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DharmaGirl07 (3 months ago) I got tears in my eyes. So fabulous. :)
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steelmagnoliahi (3 months ago) Growing up in Memphis, we used to listen to this song on the Mississippi River. Everyone would join in and sing. Great memories.
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cjw83370 (3 months ago) Paul Robeson is a hero in Wales, UK. He made a film here called Proud Valley, and was held in huge regard for his support of the Social classes, the real creators of Wealth. Thats not communism, thats the reality of Capitalism, and its the best sytem we have got!
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madbulgarian (2 months ago) Well said boyo!
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srfurley (2 months ago) I rented 'The Proud Valley' on 16mm from the British Film Institute at Christmas, I think three years ago. Another great film, but very difficult to get to see. There was an NTSC VHS release of it many years ago, but I don't think it's ever been on DVD, and it very rarely shows up at in cinemas; I saw it at the National Film Theatre in a Paul Robeson season, but that must be about fifteen years ago now. Get this film out on DVD, along with the '36 Show Boat.
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DestinyRage (2 months ago) Where can I find that version? all I find is more orchestral :(
Greetings from Spain
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222pj222 (2 months ago) Hi, Sorry for taking so long to answer. It is from the second version of the movie Showboat. I downloaded it (the whole movie) for free in eMule but surely there are DVD rental stores where you can find them. (The fist version is also with Paul Robeson but I haven't seen it).
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cmurphy2826 (2 months ago) I'm surprised this was written in the 30s. It seems very progressive for that time period.
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jeneparlepasfrance (2 months ago) sad song
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Solarzuka (2 months ago) Wow i never understood the meaning of this song, and now i do
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zandergulon (2 months ago) i just thought that this song was about some guy on a boat :(
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matthew562 (2 months ago) "Tired of living,scared of dying."Those are my favorite lines
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OldieMusicMan (2 months ago) Me, too.
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lubberings (2 months ago) I remember when my brother sang this sang this solo for choir. He's still hung up on the terrible beauty of it, and sings it from time to time.
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mrtyles (2 months ago) he's singing the song in B-flat here. My bad. I thought he was singing in C.
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mrtyles (2 months ago) i'm a bass. i cannot hit the high e at the end. every time I try to sing "OLD MAN river...he JUST KEEPS rolling along" my voice changes registers.
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mrtyles (2 months ago) this is a hard song for a bass. especially the end
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legowhatever (2 months ago) such an oldy, i love the song
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Mortricia52 (2 months ago) Love listening to Paul's voice whatever he sings but this song really gets to me. Full of emotion, I long for a fair world for all.
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[Editor: The following two comments were written in response to a deleted comment in which failedassassin apparently called the composer of this song an idiot because of his use of Black dialect.]
jonjamg (1 month ago) @failedassassin
Oscar Hammerstein II wrote the lyrics as they are recorded here - Robeson changed the lyrics himself for later recordings. Don't know if Hammerstein were an idiot, but if he were then he was a famous idiot along with Jerome Kern.
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failedassassin (1 month ago) @jonjamg I'm trying to sing along, and the words pronounced as they are written sound nothing like his accents. If these lyrics are transcribed exactly as he first wrote them, then he was no linguist at the time.
I used the word idiot because I wanted to insult someone who I felt was insulting or tarnishing the song itself, but if that was how it was originally written, I don't mean to use such caustic words.
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[Editor: The following two comments were written in response to jonjamg’s deleted post in which it appears that he said that this song couldn’t or shouldn’t be sung nowadays.]
vindude101 (1 month ago) @jonjamg
and why cant it be sung today anymore? who do you think you are? in what way are they demeaning its a part of American culture and art. saying this is bad is saying that any representation of the struggle of African American slavery is bad and worthless. grow up and think before writing useless comments that offend people. the lyrics on the side are in the original sheet music. so stop this madness.
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jonjamg (1 month ago) @vindude101
In today's culture if someone were to write in this way for today they would be decried but the words have historical meaning and another meaning if taken out of context? I think that would be a mature comment. Robeson altered the words every so often to make a political point for the times in which he were singing. Even Robeson found it more and more difficult to sing the original lyrics as culture and outlook changed. Robeson was right to do that, he did it with other songs.
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gardenguy731 (1 month ago) The best 'version' of a classic American Masterpiece.
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fatalityhawk (1 month ago) i watched this movie and couldnt help but noticing that all the white choruses lacked any real meaning and were totally fluffy and deluded almost. but the black songs for some reason appear a lot realer, deeper and sad
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eagleswing44 (1 month ago) I love the way he smiles at the end of the song. There is an old saying that says "if we don't remember our history we are doomed to repeat it". And repeat it we will over and over again. We cannot erase the past because it's too important. We can assure that the lessons learned from it will benefit future generations. It's happening people! Even the most stubborn and vile amongst us must admit that one day in the not so distant future race will no longer be an issue that divides men.
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marmaduke9 (1 month ago) Great song,great man.
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coolcitt (3 weeks ago) who is old man river
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Jezthesiren (3 weeks ago) Old Man River = the Mississippi River
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daltonagre (3 weeks ago) Good art doesn't gets older. I live in Brazil.
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Lassann (3 weeks ago) This song just never gets old! Like the Mississippi.
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DreamLordGarsha (2 weeks ago) Paul Robeson was the greatest baritone. I have never heard his equal.
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MrMaxx456 (2 weeks ago) Just listen to the pains of the man, can you feel it to??
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edmame (2 weeks ago) i love how he can be majestic without grandstanding. time to see Emperor Jones again!
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TensileStrength (2 weeks ago) I've never heard of him before, but he's great! Thank you for enlightening me!
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MrAllanMatthews (3 weeks ago) This song is too fast!
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Yippidiyippida (2 weeks ago) I too think that Paul Robeson sings it as bit too fast. That is certainly not to detract from the mans talent. I have never heard anyone sing it with the same passion as this man, and it almost makes me cry to hear it. I would just slow it down a tiny touch. Amazing song and singer none the less.
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TheWagbert (1 week ago) He didn't have a choice about the tempo for the stage or the movie; that was up to the composers and musical director. I agree that it's more effective when parts of it are slowed down for better effect. It matches the flow of the river better and brings out the undercurrent of knowing they will be working until the river beside them is theJordan and they can finally cross it and rest.
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alzahad (1 week ago) one of the GREATEST performances in the entire history of movies. this is America. this is Paul Robeson ,a MOMUMENTAL talent.
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[Editor: This was written in response to a comment that contains profanity. That commenter apparently indicated that this was the original version of “Ol’ Man River”.]
radioplug14 (1 day ago) Eh...no it isn't. The original doesn't have the word "darkies" in it. There is a more offensive two syllable word to mean African Americans.
If you want to hear the original (the whole whole thing) you need to listen to the John McGlinn recording as it is the only one out there.
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HJCarlock (6 days ago) What a handsome voice!
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