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A show tune composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, written in 1925 for the 1927 musical Show Boat. It became the most famous song from the production. The piece is intended for slow performance and appears multiple times throughout the show, with the character Joe performing it in full during the opening scene and reprising it four additional times. The song functions as a musical commentary on the stage action.
Lyrics ↗What the lyrics are about
The song presents a contrast between the suffering and difficulties experienced by African Americans and the indifferent, perpetual movement of the Mississippi River. It is performed from the perspective of a black stevedore working on a showboat, with the reprises serving to emphasize that events occur while the river continues flowing regardless.
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