Human beings on the whole are VIOLENT! We all come from one!! Looks at all the wars throughout the ages and all the different nations no one is better than the other. Paul Robeson had a magnificent voice and spirit allowing im to cross so many barriers at a time that must have been extremely difficult..A person that any person would be smart to want to emulate!!!
Who said anything about "takinig it back?" I personally had nothing to do with what happened and I refuse to feel guilty about it. I seriously doubt that you were personally around during that time either. All I said was that slavery was never only a "black thing" It's happened all over the world as far back as recorded history goes and is still happening today. Grow up and get a clue.
we are just saying that it was a terrible occurence in history.... thats all we are not trying to make YOU feel guilty (i dont know were you would get that notion from) ... so just calm down man
I am SO SICK of hearing about how "evil" the white race is. Face up ppl, there were white slaves before their were black slaves. Ever hear of "serfs"? And as far as the "white" slave traders better read your history. Black slaves were captured by BLACK tribes during their tribal wars and sold to both white and arabs who in turned sold them to others. Slavery was not just a "black" thing, it's happened to every race at one time or another. So grow up.
Hey shut up! It's was painful an d unfair. Black people where dragged out of their home land to work for some white guy that can't do his farm work. It's true blacks were captaured by other blacks in trade of spiceses and other things but it was never given to them some of the blacks that did the capturing were tricked and taken into slavery to. And P.S. White slavery only went on for a short amount of time, while black slavery went of for more then 50 years and after slavery was abolished(1/2)
@yodiroxie I agree with everything you said except your take on history. Jews were slaves to the Egyptians for hundreds of years. African slaves were used in America since the 1700's (more than 50 years). You are wrong on both accounts of white and black slavery. Before that, whoever was conquered was turned into slaves. Mankind was not so compassionate a thousand years ago. Not like it is today, and we still have a ways to go in my opinion.
(2/2) Black people were still being treated like dirt. We (Yeah I'm black.) could not go into the same resturants that the white went to, we couldn't go to the same school as the people did WE WERE PUNISHED just for saying hello to a white person. Everytime we stood up for ourselves we were put in jail, beaten up, and spread down with a holes from a fire hydgen! We came a long way and even today we are still looked down upon! OPEN YOUR EYES AND SEE THAT THIS HAPPEN AND WE CAN"T TAKE IT BACK!
Whilst Paul Robeson may not have personally chosen to be the person he now represents to be in, the struggle of racial adversity in the 20's & 30's, and a time when the white race was trying to uphold its own victorian and values of a distant american past!!!!!!. With much hindsight and much fortune we are truelly priveledged to have some footage of an iconic 20th century man like Paul Robeson.
Whilst Paul Robeson may not have personally chosen to be the person he now represents to be in, the struggle of racial adversity in the 20's & 30's, and a time when the white race was trying to uphold its own victorian and values of a distant american past!!!!!!. With much hindsight and much fortune we are truelly priveledged to have some footage of an iconic man like Paul Robeson.
All Respects to Paul Robeson the Great man of honor ... but Robeson the singer - I am not impressed. Judy Garland's version of this song is a masterpiece.
Interesting concept; but if you think more deeply about the mistreatment of black people in the 1930's (and since of course) he changed the lyric in about 1940, then you can understand why he didn't want to be associated with the river where 'slavery' and segregation was the norm.
Why o why did people in those days disagree so much. Black people in america had and now, have so much culture to offer..... America puzzles me so much
it really is a shame how the world doesnt recognize him. its cuz he's too great. the ones who are aware of him have this exclusiveness about him that makes him even more memorable to date.
Paul Leroy Robeson (April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an African-American concert singer (bass-baritone), recording artist, athlete and actor who became noted for his political radicalism and activism in the civil rights movement.
he has amazing bass notes, just saying, not many collegate students have that bass range, he must have either been blessed with a gift from god, or rehearsed his ass off
@zazinon I can sing Bass notes like there Natural almost,My singing lessons teacher says I need to say Higher,I don't think she realises how much of a gift it is.
@fuitbag dood u are one cocky person, just sayin, a person who has a degree told u you shouldnt be trying, but u think ur amazing anyways, lol, gj bro
@fuitbag dood, im on anit depressants, i take zoloph, so i know the effects, and ur just trying to be a dick, so feel free, but if ur teacher says u shouldnt be doing it and u keep doing it saying u have a gift, comes off like a huge egotistical self-centered asshole, just saying
@zazinon I don't know what your on,i'm on flouxitide thats Anti depressant.And you seem to have misunderstood what i wrote,theres no point argueing with a Idiot who's just going to drag me down with his experiance
@fuitbag the fact that you continue thiss arguement, and the fact that u classify your voice as a god given gift, ya, until u get a contract, plz dont talk about your voice like it is an all mighty power, that is what makes u a dick =D
@fuitbag its not that, the fact that u classify it as a god given talent, u might be good, im not denying that, but i think that is taking it to far dood, there are lines that people cross that get them classified as good or as a dick
I was lucky enough to meet Paul at a garden party in Kidbrooke, London in 1958. I was only 17 at the time. He was immense in every way. Hero certainly. Fearless? Well he certainly gave that impression; but he must have had his fears as we all do. It;'s having the courage to overcome them; and he certainly had that.
@banjostead He's truly an American legend now. Now he's singing the solo parts with the Angelic Choirs in Heaven before the Throne of Almighty God who loved him with an everlasting love.
As a British white guy who has read a little and learned just a little in his 50+ years I think Robeson is an absolute hero. He pushed boundaries and created timeless art in his songs. It's easy to criticise with hindsight pioneers-but I think Robeson was fearless. His legacy is amazing; of course some of the early songs reflect the culture he lived in; get over that - he did and helped create a revolution!
If sang correctly, this song still conveys the enormous racial disparities of our American past. Every one of us who saw my friend perform will never forget this song & the meaning.
I'm not an advocate for changing written art. There are several attempts to do this in current times, as in Huck Finn. It would be equal to painting over a nude that had been painted by Michaelangelo or the like. It would be a travesty... I wasn't aware of this lyric change until today, but I remain thankful to hav
If the words weren't changed - I would have missed my black class mate singing this piece in a predominently-white, public school auditorium, in the mid to late-1990's. My friend sang this song even better than this, and I do not say this to belittle the performer. He sang it with ALL of his soul. He brought crowds into tears. Everyone stood in ovation. He sang it again the following year. I am thankful for an experience that will be with me through death. If sang correctly, this song still con
The narrator is Sidney Poitier.Paul Robeson payed the extreme price for exercising his free speech in which less anyone forgets is his constitutional rite.America was enamored with Paul as long as he knew his place.Paul saw segregation and spoke out about it second class citizenship and spoke out.Do you think any man who ever lived doesn't regret something in his life.Paul Robeson is my hero because he was Black America voice and in my opinion he had every rite to sing O Man River his way.
that is not to assert in any way that all white people are ignorant, but most people of color and women generally can easily see the rationale. Race and Class, and the effects thereof have more in common than people realize, especially in America. I'm a finance major at Cal, but I'll be the first to say the communist party is theoretically about making people economically equal. The civil rights movement was (in so many words) about making people politically and socially equal. You see now?
Completely correct, I've studied Robeson, lecture about his life and times - what's more I met him at Peggy Middleton's house in the summer of 1958 when he came to London. A more charming man would be difficult to find. I had a private conversation with him for about 10 minutes. Good to find somebody who actually know's what he is talking about. Well said GoStE.
people that don't understand robeson's political affiliations are beyond ignorant, and probably white. They have trouble putting themselves in the shoes of a black man at that time. A man with celebrity status that could not sit at a counter with the people he entertained for much of his life. The communist party at that time was the vanguard of anti-racism. He was trying to help his people the best way he could, since their government was clearly uninterested in helping them.
I still think he has an amazing voice but this song was meant to give a some insight to the plight of the Negro in the South. How they were exploited, that their efforts were taken for granted, that their condition was of no concern to the White population and with this version its instead turned into a political statement. Not that there aren't points to be made in that effort I just feel that it really loses its impact.
@Leavon To have Robeson in the movie/musical is a political statement, it was written for him. Robeson was a true artivist in the nature of the word, from his education to his leading roles in the states and in the UK. The politics of American hypocrisy in relation to the ideals it touts and the realities it expresses to both the Blacks and mainstream working class is itself a political paradigm often expressed by Black writers of the time. The song's evolution only brings more clarity.
Yes, the PC brigade will always be sticking its hands into things which are better left alone doing their best to control the thoughts and actions of the "common man."
The lyrics should not have been changed, Hammerstein wrote those words for their impact and they were more effective AS written, not changed to not reflect reality.
what a great song.....capitalism is great..... bankers can have all the `niggers` they want regardless their colour and still get support by their goverment no matter how broke they got by misjudging their competence.... I love Marc Twain`s story of Huck Finn... I love the idea of hackin` down a few sitca spruce and opening a few barrels of tar and pluck a few chickens and get a me a few banksters and politicians and throw in a few lawyers for good measure and let them all of down the big muddy*
I think Hammerstein's original lyric "He's the old man that I'd like to be" fit Joe's character. The lyric doesn't necessarily imply that Joe wished to be as uncaring as his oppressors. True, the changes were Robeson's choice, but I am a lyricist, and I don't like when artists alter my words, and so I wonder if Hammerstein had similar regrets.
I grew up with my dad singing Paul Robson (& other) tunes. I flowered in the hippy years, now I am nearly 60 (& my dad is 88) & I love all music, but the voice of this man moves me like no other
Maybe Communism wasn't so stupid. Not being a Communist myslef I don't even particularly sypathise with the ideology that, for example, Stalin corrupted. None the less, you can surely see that the Communist Party in the US was far more anti-racist, anti-sexist, etc, and based on a far more egalitarian and, ultimately, moral ideal than any mainstream party, despite its assosiation with foreign despots.
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR in concept communism seems very American this nation was founded on the idea that all people have equal rights and although there have been people robed of their rights but there are always those working to fix our flaws in a communist country they tryto get rid of those flaws with government control which if the government is just and kind makes it perfect for the common people if its a bad government then its a dictatorship. in concept comunism is equal to a true republic.
@Palkin1000 one more thing a communist country is suposed to supportand protect the rights of all people just as a True republic is a democracy that protects the rights of the weak or the minority if you think about it the concepts they are based on seem (or atleast to me if you exclude the economics) to be the same thing freedom and equality. but of course neither is perfect America has had its share of faults and so have countires such as the USSR. Neither system is perfect.
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR Sadly because then so many whites were part of the Ku Klux Klan, and beating and hanging and killing blacks. Not everywhere of course, but enough so that many blacks just had no justice available.
I am a conservative, but I can sure see why these folks chose the paths they did. They just wanted justice, same as you and me. Things really are different now, and mostly better. It will take time yet before blacks as group can really trust.
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR I agree with Banostead. Having read one of his biographies it's clear the the man had many obstacles to overcome. His father was a freed slave who became a preacher. Paul had to endure the Jim Crow laws. He qualified as a lawyer, yet a secretary refused to work with him on account of his colour. It makes me shudder. I think he was a great man.
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR I agree with Banjostead. Having read one of his biographies it's clear the the man had many obstacles to overcome. His father was a freed slave who became a preacher. Paul had to endure the Jim Crow laws. He qualified as a lawyer, yet a secretary refused to work with him on account of his colour. It makes me shudder. I think he was a great man.
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR At the time communism wasn't considered stupid, it was considered intellectual and unselfish. Given the times, plenty of people were looking at communism as a probable resort. You will never, never know how bad things were in the 30's in america, especially if you werent white.
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR He never belonged to any communist organization. His relationship with the Chinese and Soviets was based on the fact that he identified their popular struggles against autocratic czars and feudal drug lords with the Black Civil Rights movement here. This caused him to be marginalized, MLK to be overrated, paved the way for frauds like Sharpton and Jackson, and caused Whites to condescendingly believe "them darkies love them some preacher-men."
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR because communism idea was equality for everybody...something that was not in usa at that time...and the real face of communism was unknown
@DinaanBumm it was the BLATANT violation of freedom of speech during the 1940s & 1950s by the ReichWing nuts against anyone DARING to challenge the status quo....
@DinaanBumm It is what I found strange myself including straight after 9/11 where American TV and commercials all of a sudden had black faces until at its height with Obama. He was singing a song for soldiers and people who had no regard or respect for his life. I think the deep American psyche just wants every people to capitulate to them like black people have done for so long as if they are stuck with some hallucinogenic forgiving pill.
@Dabayare I gather you are not an American and were not alive in the 1960's and 70's when African Americans first began appearing in numbers and the numbers increased and accelerated through the 1980's and 90's.
If anyone knows anything about Hammerstein's musicals with all of his partners, they all have a strong subplot of a social justice them. Even as far back as Showboat in 1936
The lyrical shift is from (solopsistic) quietism to (collective) activism. That is (should be?) pretty obvious. Both have their place. Robeson spent a good deal of time trying to get black people in the US to make that shift. Hence the change in lyrics. This is not complicated stuff, and requires no PC conspiracy.
This isn't an example of political correctness - this is Paul Robeson changing the lryics to make a personal statement. He also didn't sing the second half of the song. So what? He wasn't performing in Show Boat - this was a personal appearance. I don't recall enough about his history to remember exactly, but I recall enough to guess that the line "keep fighting until I'm dyin'" refers to some struggle he was involved with. Many artists personalize songs, Frank Sinatra, for instance.
A sincere socialist just doing his level best in getting the message across. White, black, yellow or half cast is not the issue. Fairness and equal distribution is!!!
Let's not forget that the "two white men" who wrote "Show Boat" were both Jews. So, I think they probably knew a bit about pain, suffering, and discrimination. Also, don't forget Jews were NOT allowed to stay in certain hotels, dine in certain restaurants, and could join many organizations. Hmmm, sounds vaguely familiar to the plight of African Americans. Please don't forget Kern, Hammerstein, and Gershwin pioneered writing parts for African Americans on the stage.
@banjostead Indeed, he changed the song to reflect his political views. Originally, it felt like a song of hopelessness and being servile, but he changed it to how he will continue on to fight. Which, to be honest, makes Ol' Man River truly his and I cannot associate another person with this song other than him.
@banjostead I think the changed words ruin it. "I keeps laughin' instead of cryin', I must keep fightin' until I'm dyin" cannot possibly compare to the poetry and impact of "I gits weary and sick of tryin', I'm tired o' livin' and scared o' dyin". I don't care how PC Robeson's changes are. They ruin the song.
@banjostead There has always been PC crowd. PC is just a name for evolving public standards. Standards of acceptable conduct have changed throughout US and human history,
@banjostead This is true, he changed it a number of times, from "old man", to grit for drunk, to I don't like to be for like to be. Paul was a man of social conviction.
A hero that stood out from the rest.
clarebannerman 16 hours ago
Big paul died today 1976 can everyone shut up for one day?
vivascargill1 6 days ago
Absolutely correct
banjostead 1 week ago
This is Robeson's song. No one can do it as well as he did.
deezynar 2 weeks ago
Human beings on the whole are VIOLENT! We all come from one!! Looks at all the wars throughout the ages and all the different nations no one is better than the other. Paul Robeson had a magnificent voice and spirit allowing im to cross so many barriers at a time that must have been extremely difficult..A person that any person would be smart to want to emulate!!!
babiemomma4s 3 weeks ago
Comment removed
biswaborkakoty 1 month ago
@biswaborkakoty wtf? that's pretty racist there bud. not all black people are violent and rude.
pwnage51 3 weeks ago
@biswaborkakoty
yo, thats really rascist dude
BlueSoul3455 2 weeks ago
@biswaborkakoty Are you suggesting that only blacks in the US are civilized? I bed to differ.
JuanDVene 1 week ago
@biswaborkakoty shut the fuck up you blue waffle minge eating faggot, fuck that racist shit right there
flamingo365 1 week ago
@flamingo365 your language reflects how civilized you are?
biswaborkakoty 1 week ago
@biswaborkakoty And your racism shows how civilized you are as well. You must be pretty small minded and possess a KKK mentality
flamingo365 1 week ago
O:
WOWjman713 1 month ago
greatest performance of the song
movieman7000 1 month ago
All time great. Immortal.
rumarico 2 months ago
Where in this world of Americia have the colored folks got peace
enginebelly 2 months ago
I think this was filmed in Communist Poland.
MaoistLeninistMarx 2 months ago 2
Who said anything about "takinig it back?" I personally had nothing to do with what happened and I refuse to feel guilty about it. I seriously doubt that you were personally around during that time either. All I said was that slavery was never only a "black thing" It's happened all over the world as far back as recorded history goes and is still happening today. Grow up and get a clue.
308LRChris 2 months ago
@308LRChris
no ppl on here arent saying its a "black thing"
we are just saying that it was a terrible occurence in history.... thats all we are not trying to make YOU feel guilty (i dont know were you would get that notion from) ... so just calm down man
BlueSoul3455 2 weeks ago
???
thinnker1 2 months ago
I am SO SICK of hearing about how "evil" the white race is. Face up ppl, there were white slaves before their were black slaves. Ever hear of "serfs"? And as far as the "white" slave traders better read your history. Black slaves were captured by BLACK tribes during their tribal wars and sold to both white and arabs who in turned sold them to others. Slavery was not just a "black" thing, it's happened to every race at one time or another. So grow up.
308LRChris 3 months ago
Hey shut up! It's was painful an d unfair. Black people where dragged out of their home land to work for some white guy that can't do his farm work. It's true blacks were captaured by other blacks in trade of spiceses and other things but it was never given to them some of the blacks that did the capturing were tricked and taken into slavery to. And P.S. White slavery only went on for a short amount of time, while black slavery went of for more then 50 years and after slavery was abolished(1/2)
yodiroxie 2 months ago
@yodiroxie I agree with everything you said except your take on history. Jews were slaves to the Egyptians for hundreds of years. African slaves were used in America since the 1700's (more than 50 years). You are wrong on both accounts of white and black slavery. Before that, whoever was conquered was turned into slaves. Mankind was not so compassionate a thousand years ago. Not like it is today, and we still have a ways to go in my opinion.
overcominginertia 1 month ago
(2/2) Black people were still being treated like dirt. We (Yeah I'm black.) could not go into the same resturants that the white went to, we couldn't go to the same school as the people did WE WERE PUNISHED just for saying hello to a white person. Everytime we stood up for ourselves we were put in jail, beaten up, and spread down with a holes from a fire hydgen! We came a long way and even today we are still looked down upon! OPEN YOUR EYES AND SEE THAT THIS HAPPEN AND WE CAN"T TAKE IT BACK!
yodiroxie 2 months ago 2
please do this again but be silent, no comments needed, With apologies. Mike
michael553ify 3 months ago
Comment removed
vampirellella 3 months ago
Whilst Paul Robeson may not have personally chosen to be the person he now represents to be in, the struggle of racial adversity in the 20's & 30's, and a time when the white race was trying to uphold its own victorian and values of a distant american past!!!!!!. With much hindsight and much fortune we are truelly priveledged to have some footage of an iconic 20th century man like Paul Robeson.
LateCretacious 3 months ago
Whilst Paul Robeson may not have personally chosen to be the person he now represents to be in, the struggle of racial adversity in the 20's & 30's, and a time when the white race was trying to uphold its own victorian and values of a distant american past!!!!!!. With much hindsight and much fortune we are truelly priveledged to have some footage of an iconic man like Paul Robeson.
LateCretacious 3 months ago
Bravo Paul Robeson....
jimmyratz 4 months ago
All Respects to Paul Robeson the Great man of honor ... but Robeson the singer - I am not impressed. Judy Garland's version of this song is a masterpiece.
greatbydesign33 4 months ago
@greatbydesign33 Paul Robeson is so much better than Julie Garland it's a joke
freshlawd 4 months ago
@freshlawd I do not think you are being fully honest. I like Robeson too, but I just do not hear musical genius in his voice.
greatbydesign33 4 months ago
@greatbydesign33 WHAT? What you heard his descending and ascending vibratos? Those are some of the hardest techniques in singing!
chocolatedonut31 3 months ago
@chocolatedonut31 OK - I stand corrected. I do not know about professional music. I just go from what sounds good to me.
greatbydesign33 3 months ago
Interesting concept; but if you think more deeply about the mistreatment of black people in the 1930's (and since of course) he changed the lyric in about 1940, then you can understand why he didn't want to be associated with the river where 'slavery' and segregation was the norm.
banjostead 5 months ago 4
I like the old one :/.. The one where he wants to be.. Makes more sense.. Wouldn't we all wanna be care free?
DanteG9298 5 months ago
Old Man River
berownesgirl 5 months ago
Thank you!
bizakis9 5 months ago
I prefer Sir Willard White's rendition of this song...It's the best one I've heard so far.
pagalley1 5 months ago
great!
1sofonisba 5 months ago
The commentator (I assume this is part of a documentary) sounds like Sidney Poitier, rather than Harry Belafonte.
speechrighter 5 months ago
wow..i do not believe we really recognize the character of this man...so sorry we have not done so
edh757 6 months ago
WTF does it suggest Chocolate Rain? That's an insult.
BaronVonKenny 6 months ago
Boycott the Zionist land-theft and welfare scam in Palestine.
Five American towns are named for Palestine and we are made to finance the wiping of their namesake from the map.
onefodderunit 6 months ago
I will but,it does not beat Robeson's version.
Soulthinker2007 7 months ago
I want to get a CD of Robeson's version of Old Man River. Loved it!!
Soulthinker2007 7 months ago
@Soulthinker2007 it was pretty damn good but search for ivan rebroff's version
ArthaxtaDaVince777 7 months ago
A true gentleman and a genius, with a voice that will never be equalled. "When comes such another?" Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore".
MrNikodemus2 7 months ago
he was cute i like his smile at the end of the tune !
babs22hh 8 months ago
He was a great athlete and entertainer.
commentatertot 8 months ago 2
Why o why did people in those days disagree so much. Black people in america had and now, have so much culture to offer..... America puzzles me so much
belfastmisogynist 8 months ago
@vampirellella
it really is a shame how the world doesnt recognize him. its cuz he's too great. the ones who are aware of him have this exclusiveness about him that makes him even more memorable to date.
cbkny89 8 months ago
what documentary is this from?
babs22hh 8 months ago
shit i can't go that low!
skinnyshit8888 8 months ago
Comment removed
sledgehead2000 9 months ago 10
@sledgehead2000 PREACH!!!! what heroism! I am in awe of Robeson!
babs22hh 8 months ago
@sledgehead2000 Wtf?
Frday101 1 month ago
Comment removed
sledgehead2000 9 months ago
Remember, at the time, he was rejected by most of the black population as well. Martin Luther King especially did not welcome his help.
banjostead 9 months ago 6
@banjostead because he was into white women...
fivepoints 8 months ago
@banjostead Robesson or Belafonte?
Mullahgrrl 7 months ago
@banjostead how come?
xxxfealerxxx 6 months ago
@banjostead Paul Robeson was too hot with his communism associations.So they stay away from him.
PREZ150 3 months ago
wonderful voice, wonderful person, it is a shame his countrymen did not recognise this {I mean the white majority.}
18tangles 9 months ago
You racist fucks. He was just an American... Not African or what ever bullshit you white folk label him with, to keep him separate.
Open your eyes, your a passive aggressive racist.
SoothsayerYT 9 months ago 2
Paul Leroy Robeson (April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an African-American concert singer (bass-baritone), recording artist, athlete and actor who became noted for his political radicalism and activism in the civil rights movement.
mkworkman 9 months ago
OK, gave me goosebumps at the end. A man of passion, with an incredible gift.
weavrmom 9 months ago
Okay, the random guy who starts giving director's commentary at 0:49 is definitely not doing anything for this video.
trilobright 10 months ago
im glad im livin in somerville where paul grew up.
stonedrocker666 10 months ago
Apparently this song was a massive hit in the USSR. Well, my grandmother from Leningrad says so.
ZeenaKlee 10 months ago
he has amazing bass notes, just saying, not many collegate students have that bass range, he must have either been blessed with a gift from god, or rehearsed his ass off
zazinon 11 months ago
@zazinon I can sing Bass notes like there Natural almost,My singing lessons teacher says I need to say Higher,I don't think she realises how much of a gift it is.
fuitbag 10 months ago
@fuitbag dood u are one cocky person, just sayin, a person who has a degree told u you shouldnt be trying, but u think ur amazing anyways, lol, gj bro
zazinon 10 months ago
@zazinon i'm saying being able to sing bass is a gift?is being cocky?Are you american?That would explain the Stupidity of your comments
fuitbag 10 months ago
@zazinon And Honestly if i thought i was awsome i would'nt be on anti-depressants now would i?
fuitbag 10 months ago
@fuitbag dood, im on anit depressants, i take zoloph, so i know the effects, and ur just trying to be a dick, so feel free, but if ur teacher says u shouldnt be doing it and u keep doing it saying u have a gift, comes off like a huge egotistical self-centered asshole, just saying
zazinon 10 months ago
@zazinon I don't know what your on,i'm on flouxitide thats Anti depressant.And you seem to have misunderstood what i wrote,theres no point argueing with a Idiot who's just going to drag me down with his experiance
fuitbag 10 months ago
@zazinon And she never siad not to sing bass she just said to sing higher as well.
fuitbag 10 months ago
@zazinon And she never said not to sing bass she just said to sing higher as well.
fuitbag 10 months ago
@fuitbag has nothing to do with you being a dick bro
zazinon 10 months ago
@zazinon Then how am i a dick?
fuitbag 10 months ago
@fuitbag the fact that you continue thiss arguement, and the fact that u classify your voice as a god given gift, ya, until u get a contract, plz dont talk about your voice like it is an all mighty power, that is what makes u a dick =D
zazinon 10 months ago
@zazinon K,It's just everyone I've met so far says i have a great voice,But i think their just being nice.Your right i was being a dick,I'm sorry.
fuitbag 10 months ago
@fuitbag its not that, the fact that u classify it as a god given talent, u might be good, im not denying that, but i think that is taking it to far dood, there are lines that people cross that get them classified as good or as a dick
zazinon 10 months ago
I was lucky enough to meet Paul at a garden party in Kidbrooke, London in 1958. I was only 17 at the time. He was immense in every way. Hero certainly. Fearless? Well he certainly gave that impression; but he must have had his fears as we all do. It;'s having the courage to overcome them; and he certainly had that.
banjostead 11 months ago 27
@banjostead wow, i bet you will never forget that moment...a true renaissance man..a legend. best wishes sir
Ruwan83 11 months ago
@banjostead He's truly an American legend now. Now he's singing the solo parts with the Angelic Choirs in Heaven before the Throne of Almighty God who loved him with an everlasting love.
frbjoernLA 11 months ago
@banjostead You actually met Paul Robeson??? That must have been incredible!
stargell777 4 months ago
As a British white guy who has read a little and learned just a little in his 50+ years I think Robeson is an absolute hero. He pushed boundaries and created timeless art in his songs. It's easy to criticise with hindsight pioneers-but I think Robeson was fearless. His legacy is amazing; of course some of the early songs reflect the culture he lived in; get over that - he did and helped create a revolution!
iggypopstrousers 11 months ago
If sang correctly, this song still conveys the enormous racial disparities of our American past. Every one of us who saw my friend perform will never forget this song & the meaning.
I'm not an advocate for changing written art. There are several attempts to do this in current times, as in Huck Finn. It would be equal to painting over a nude that had been painted by Michaelangelo or the like. It would be a travesty... I wasn't aware of this lyric change until today, but I remain thankful to hav
cmgalaxy 11 months ago
If the words weren't changed - I would have missed my black class mate singing this piece in a predominently-white, public school auditorium, in the mid to late-1990's. My friend sang this song even better than this, and I do not say this to belittle the performer. He sang it with ALL of his soul. He brought crowds into tears. Everyone stood in ovation. He sang it again the following year. I am thankful for an experience that will be with me through death. If sang correctly, this song still con
cmgalaxy 11 months ago
The narrator is Sidney Poitier.Paul Robeson payed the extreme price for exercising his free speech in which less anyone forgets is his constitutional rite.America was enamored with Paul as long as he knew his place.Paul saw segregation and spoke out about it second class citizenship and spoke out.Do you think any man who ever lived doesn't regret something in his life.Paul Robeson is my hero because he was Black America voice and in my opinion he had every rite to sing O Man River his way.
hremdldw 11 months ago
Comment removed
hremdldw 11 months ago
that is not to assert in any way that all white people are ignorant, but most people of color and women generally can easily see the rationale. Race and Class, and the effects thereof have more in common than people realize, especially in America. I'm a finance major at Cal, but I'll be the first to say the communist party is theoretically about making people economically equal. The civil rights movement was (in so many words) about making people politically and socially equal. You see now?
GoStE 11 months ago
Completely correct, I've studied Robeson, lecture about his life and times - what's more I met him at Peggy Middleton's house in the summer of 1958 when he came to London. A more charming man would be difficult to find. I had a private conversation with him for about 10 minutes. Good to find somebody who actually know's what he is talking about. Well said GoStE.
banjostead 11 months ago 9
@banjostead That's awesome. Have you written extensively about the meeting anywhere? I'd love to read it.
antoniorossiz 5 months ago
people that don't understand robeson's political affiliations are beyond ignorant, and probably white. They have trouble putting themselves in the shoes of a black man at that time. A man with celebrity status that could not sit at a counter with the people he entertained for much of his life. The communist party at that time was the vanguard of anti-racism. He was trying to help his people the best way he could, since their government was clearly uninterested in helping them.
GoStE 11 months ago
He changed a few words and it changed the entire tone of the song. I gotta say I may prefer this version.
SirTimbo 11 months ago
I still think he has an amazing voice but this song was meant to give a some insight to the plight of the Negro in the South. How they were exploited, that their efforts were taken for granted, that their condition was of no concern to the White population and with this version its instead turned into a political statement. Not that there aren't points to be made in that effort I just feel that it really loses its impact.
Leavon 11 months ago
@Leavon To have Robeson in the movie/musical is a political statement, it was written for him. Robeson was a true artivist in the nature of the word, from his education to his leading roles in the states and in the UK. The politics of American hypocrisy in relation to the ideals it touts and the realities it expresses to both the Blacks and mainstream working class is itself a political paradigm often expressed by Black writers of the time. The song's evolution only brings more clarity.
actingproductions 11 months ago
Paul Robeson, grandfather of Tay Zonday?
jamz231 11 months ago
Yes, the PC brigade will always be sticking its hands into things which are better left alone doing their best to control the thoughts and actions of the "common man."
ChiefSailor1948 11 months ago
amazing.
ReddFalcon 1 year ago
January 27, 1885: birth of Jerome Kern, American composer (d. 1945).
mkworkman 1 year ago
an amazing voice
TheUrsulafoster 1 year ago
The lyrics should not have been changed, Hammerstein wrote those words for their impact and they were more effective AS written, not changed to not reflect reality.
scottcal80 1 year ago
When are people going to realize that- black or white, we're all the same under the skin, and should treat each other as brothers ?
CaptRhett1 1 year ago
Thumbs up if ur here cuz of Family Guy! ha ha
msNativegal 1 year ago
@msNativegal fuck family guy
kyleisreallycool 1 year ago
@kyleisreallycool hmmmmmm.....well......whatever.
msNativegal 1 year ago
what a great song.....capitalism is great..... bankers can have all the `niggers` they want regardless their colour and still get support by their goverment no matter how broke they got by misjudging their competence.... I love Marc Twain`s story of Huck Finn... I love the idea of hackin` down a few sitca spruce and opening a few barrels of tar and pluck a few chickens and get a me a few banksters and politicians and throw in a few lawyers for good measure and let them all of down the big muddy*
tit4tat4dat 1 year ago
Dope. First heard this guy 8 years ago and his voice is still stuck in my head.
beethovenboy 1 year ago
i believe this is when he was linked to sing for the welsh eisteddfod as he was stopped flying here
gothboy2k6 1 year ago
I love his little smile at the end!
docterphreak 1 year ago
fuck now that's what you call a voice
MihaPiter 1 year ago
I love this brilliant song
sussie5 1 year ago
Thats why paul hated the states and prefered russia.
billy2rivers1 1 year ago
I think Hammerstein's original lyric "He's the old man that I'd like to be" fit Joe's character. The lyric doesn't necessarily imply that Joe wished to be as uncaring as his oppressors. True, the changes were Robeson's choice, but I am a lyricist, and I don't like when artists alter my words, and so I wonder if Hammerstein had similar regrets.
madamerotten 1 year ago
What a voice. I love it.
xfilll 1 year ago
I'm white and never heard this before GREAT STUFF
tony13a 1 year ago
@tony13a im white too!, we have so much in common
commanderplyers 1 year ago
@tony13a Then you are sadly highly ignorant of the tradition of the American musical theater.
scottcal80 1 year ago
This is an absolutely fantastic performance; this is the first time I've ever heard this song, and it almost moved me to tears at the end.
Gfgoodrichtires 1 year ago
hey bolshevik, sing till u can. u sing great, well, amazing and i love your singibg-
bobano666 1 year ago
Sam Sacks does a WAY better version than this
TheNEWfilmfanatic99 1 year ago
Search some naughty women online **mworld5.info**
ayashadilrukshi 1 year ago
You speeded it up :( i like it the regular way :O
melrob95 1 year ago
I grew up with my dad singing Paul Robson (& other) tunes. I flowered in the hippy years, now I am nearly 60 (& my dad is 88) & I love all music, but the voice of this man moves me like no other
shemanic1 1 year ago
Communist jiggaboo
TheGhostOfHumanLogic 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Why did such a great American singer subject himself to the stupidity of communism?
ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR 1 year ago
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR
Maybe Communism wasn't so stupid. Not being a Communist myslef I don't even particularly sypathise with the ideology that, for example, Stalin corrupted. None the less, you can surely see that the Communist Party in the US was far more anti-racist, anti-sexist, etc, and based on a far more egalitarian and, ultimately, moral ideal than any mainstream party, despite its assosiation with foreign despots.
wid85 1 year ago
@wid85 Communism is responsible more deaths, misery and suffering than any political ideology ever.
scottcal80 1 year ago
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR
Read a biography on him and you will understand.
banjostead 1 year ago 26
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR in concept communism seems very American this nation was founded on the idea that all people have equal rights and although there have been people robed of their rights but there are always those working to fix our flaws in a communist country they tryto get rid of those flaws with government control which if the government is just and kind makes it perfect for the common people if its a bad government then its a dictatorship. in concept comunism is equal to a true republic.
Palkin1000 1 year ago
@Palkin1000 one more thing a communist country is suposed to supportand protect the rights of all people just as a True republic is a democracy that protects the rights of the weak or the minority if you think about it the concepts they are based on seem (or atleast to me if you exclude the economics) to be the same thing freedom and equality. but of course neither is perfect America has had its share of faults and so have countires such as the USSR. Neither system is perfect.
Palkin1000 1 year ago
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR Sadly because then so many whites were part of the Ku Klux Klan, and beating and hanging and killing blacks. Not everywhere of course, but enough so that many blacks just had no justice available.
I am a conservative, but I can sure see why these folks chose the paths they did. They just wanted justice, same as you and me. Things really are different now, and mostly better. It will take time yet before blacks as group can really trust.
rail64 1 year ago
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR I agree with Banostead. Having read one of his biographies it's clear the the man had many obstacles to overcome. His father was a freed slave who became a preacher. Paul had to endure the Jim Crow laws. He qualified as a lawyer, yet a secretary refused to work with him on account of his colour. It makes me shudder. I think he was a great man.
mariamac66 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR I agree with Banjostead. Having read one of his biographies it's clear the the man had many obstacles to overcome. His father was a freed slave who became a preacher. Paul had to endure the Jim Crow laws. He qualified as a lawyer, yet a secretary refused to work with him on account of his colour. It makes me shudder. I think he was a great man.
mariamac66 1 year ago
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR At the time communism wasn't considered stupid, it was considered intellectual and unselfish. Given the times, plenty of people were looking at communism as a probable resort. You will never, never know how bad things were in the 30's in america, especially if you werent white.
louiscaponecchia 1 year ago
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR Curious what you think the stupidities of Communism are?
Don't get wrong, I see flaws in it as well, but so many talk smack about it, and don't even know what it is.
Oh, and great voice, great song.
PtolemyJones 1 year ago
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR He never belonged to any communist organization. His relationship with the Chinese and Soviets was based on the fact that he identified their popular struggles against autocratic czars and feudal drug lords with the Black Civil Rights movement here. This caused him to be marginalized, MLK to be overrated, paved the way for frauds like Sharpton and Jackson, and caused Whites to condescendingly believe "them darkies love them some preacher-men."
number1historybuff 1 year ago
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR Because he saw the greater stupidity of the status quo.
LeifBenedict 1 year ago
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR I guess he saw the hypocrisy in America, both towards people of color and the working/labor class.
actingproductions 1 year ago
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR He found acceptance there, something he could not get in the U. S. of A.
ARP7777777 9 months ago
@ATOMICCHOCOLETEBAR because communism idea was equality for everybody...something that was not in usa at that time...and the real face of communism was unknown
salvadoraugustus 8 months ago
Beautiful!!!
ThePlatofan 1 year ago
NOw I know who Tay Zonday steals his vocals from...haha!
MrMonsterkaraoke 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
11 people who hit the dislike button should be thrown down the mississippi river
carfreak0729 1 year ago
America's constitution failed to protect this mans rights to freedom of persecution as a result of his political ideals. That makes me sad
DinaanBumm 1 year ago
@DinaanBumm it was the BLATANT violation of freedom of speech during the 1940s & 1950s by the ReichWing nuts against anyone DARING to challenge the status quo....
biancademonet 1 year ago
@DinaanBumm It is what I found strange myself including straight after 9/11 where American TV and commercials all of a sudden had black faces until at its height with Obama. He was singing a song for soldiers and people who had no regard or respect for his life. I think the deep American psyche just wants every people to capitulate to them like black people have done for so long as if they are stuck with some hallucinogenic forgiving pill.
Dabayare 1 year ago
@Dabayare I gather you are not an American and were not alive in the 1960's and 70's when African Americans first began appearing in numbers and the numbers increased and accelerated through the 1980's and 90's.
scottcal80 1 year ago
PB is amazing now i know
bobano666 1 year ago
This man persecuted as a result of his race and then political ideals nice one america
DinaanBumm 1 year ago
@DinaanBumm Ignorance is bliss.
scottcal80 1 year ago
If anyone knows anything about Hammerstein's musicals with all of his partners, they all have a strong subplot of a social justice them. Even as far back as Showboat in 1936
pickpjh 1 year ago 7
@pickpjh
Er!
1926
banjostead 1 year ago
@banjostead 1927 lol
boyowood 1 year ago
The lyrical shift is from (solopsistic) quietism to (collective) activism. That is (should be?) pretty obvious. Both have their place. Robeson spent a good deal of time trying to get black people in the US to make that shift. Hence the change in lyrics. This is not complicated stuff, and requires no PC conspiracy.
xbeckyx21 1 year ago
where can I find the original?
PhillyGirl1 1 year ago
@PhillyGirl1 The only place that I know of is in an early recording by Al Jolsen.
BobbyFuckingSteele 1 year ago
@ banjostead. Agreed. Truly the finest bass voice of the C20th
stanibol 1 year ago
@ Agreed. Truly the finest bass voice of the C20th
stanibol 1 year ago
This isn't an example of political correctness - this is Paul Robeson changing the lryics to make a personal statement. He also didn't sing the second half of the song. So what? He wasn't performing in Show Boat - this was a personal appearance. I don't recall enough about his history to remember exactly, but I recall enough to guess that the line "keep fighting until I'm dyin'" refers to some struggle he was involved with. Many artists personalize songs, Frank Sinatra, for instance.
wmlbrown 1 year ago
A sincere socialist just doing his level best in getting the message across. White, black, yellow or half cast is not the issue. Fairness and equal distribution is!!!
mikris50 1 year ago
Let's not forget that the "two white men" who wrote "Show Boat" were both Jews. So, I think they probably knew a bit about pain, suffering, and discrimination. Also, don't forget Jews were NOT allowed to stay in certain hotels, dine in certain restaurants, and could join many organizations. Hmmm, sounds vaguely familiar to the plight of African Americans. Please don't forget Kern, Hammerstein, and Gershwin pioneered writing parts for African Americans on the stage.
100Meadows 1 year ago 5
I think the original lyrics reflected the horror of slavery in the US much better and the desperation the slaves must have felt.
bunchie1966 1 year ago
What a shame the PC brigade had to mess with it.
bunchie1966 1 year ago 2
@bunchie1966 The PC brigade didn't mess with it. There was no such thing as a PC brigade in 1939. Robeson changed the words- and a good job too!!!
banjostead 1 year ago 23
@banjostead Indeed, he changed the song to reflect his political views. Originally, it felt like a song of hopelessness and being servile, but he changed it to how he will continue on to fight. Which, to be honest, makes Ol' Man River truly his and I cannot associate another person with this song other than him.
KirtRenolds 1 year ago 2
@banjostead I think the changed words ruin it. "I keeps laughin' instead of cryin', I must keep fightin' until I'm dyin" cannot possibly compare to the poetry and impact of "I gits weary and sick of tryin', I'm tired o' livin' and scared o' dyin". I don't care how PC Robeson's changes are. They ruin the song.
al1936ful 1 year ago
@al1936ful I agree with you 100%.
madamerotten 1 year ago
@banjostead And it's Kern, not Kerr.
al1936ful 1 year ago
@banjostead There has always been PC crowd. PC is just a name for evolving public standards. Standards of acceptable conduct have changed throughout US and human history,
xmcdonnell 1 year ago
@banjostead This is true, he changed it a number of times, from "old man", to grit for drunk, to I don't like to be for like to be. Paul was a man of social conviction.
actingproductions 1 year ago
@masonstheidiot fuck you
gamekid55 1 year ago
A river in History, a history of contradictions, a region of hope. A voice to tell it all...
KalakaSLP 1 year ago