Printed in a book Margaret MacArthur gave me called Songs of the Rivers of America. This song is also known as "Old Jim River".(GB)
*We found one internet source that attributes a similar version of this song to Daniel Decatur Emmett (1815–1904) Below is the version sung on this recording.
It'll never do to give it up so
It'll never do to give it up so
It'll never do to give it up so, Mister Brown,
It'll never do to give it up so
I'm old Mister Brown just up from the South
I left Lynchburg in the time of the drought
And the hard times come with a terrible pace
I never dared to show my face
Old Jim River I floated down
The back of the boat ran up on the ground
And a pine log come with a terrible din
Stove both ends of the old boat in
But old Jim River he rolls away
He works all night and he works all day
He don't care for good times or bad
He takes what he gets and it makes him glad
But old Jim River he rolls away
He works all night and he works all day
He never cares for good times or bad
He takes what he gets and it makes him glad