Black Water

The Doobie Brothers

Well, I built me a raft and she's ready for floatin'
Ol' Mississippi, she's callin' my name
Catfish are jumpin', that paddle wheel thumpin'
Black water keeps rollin' on past just the same

Old black water, keep on rollin'
Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me?
Old black water, keep on rollin'
Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me?
Old black water, keep on rollin'
Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me?

Yeah, keep on shinin' your light
Gonna make everything
Pretty mama, gonna make everything all right
And I ain't got no worries
'Cause I ain't in no hurry at all

Well, if it rains, I don't care
Don't make no difference to me
Just take that streetcar that's goin' uptown
Yeah, I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland and dance a honky-tonk
And I'll be buyin' ev'rybody drinks all 'roun'

Old black water, keep on rollin'
Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me?
Old black water, keep on rollin'
Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me?
Old black water, keep on rollin'
Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me?

Keep on shinin' your light
Gonna make everything, everything
Gonna make everything all right
And I ain't got no worries
'Cause I ain't in no hurry at all

I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland
Pretty mama, come and take me by the hand
(By the hand) hand (take me by the hand) pretty mama
Gonna dance with your daddy all night long
I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland
Pretty mama, come and take me by the hand
By the hand, take me by the hand, pretty mama (I wanna honky-tonk, honky-tonk)
Gonna dance with your daddy night long (honky-tonk with you all long)
I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland
Pretty mama, come and take me by the hand
By the hand, take me by the hand, pretty mama (I wanna honky-tonk, honky-tonk)
Gonna dance with you all night long (honky-tonk with you all long)
I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland
Pretty mama, come and take me by the hand
By the hand, take me by the hand, pretty mama (I wanna honky-tonk, honky-tonk)
Gonna dance with you all night long (honky-tonk with you all long)
I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland
Pretty mama, come and take me by the hand
By the hand, take me by the hand, pretty mama (I wanna honky-tonk, honky-tonk)
Gonna dance with you all night long (honky-tonk with you all long)
I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland
Pretty mama, come and take me by the hand
By the hand, take me by the hand, pretty mama (I wanna honky-tonk, honky-tonk)
Gonna dance with you all night long (honky-tonk with you all long)


Lyrics submitted by palmdogg10

Black Water Lyrics as written by Patrick Simmons

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Black Water song meanings
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20 Comments

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  • +4
    General Commentmy favorite line is "if it rains i dont care dont make no difference to me". It shows just how laid back this song is. its not complaining or whining about anything like most songs. definitely a tizzite song
    mattyboy9on April 27, 2007   Link
  • +3
    Song MeaningThis song is actually about the prohibition era. The singer is on a hand made raft (not uncommon at the time) drinking an illegal drink: Mississippi Moonshine (MISSISSIPPI MOON won't you keep on SHINING on me) He watches the steam powered paddle boats come up the river. The Black Water refers not only to the Mississippi River at night but also to his drink. He is headed down the river to go dance at a club down in New Orleans, where Dixieland was originally played.
    BenTheHokieon June 02, 2014   Link
  • +2
    General Commentthis song sounds like something that would come to your mind thinking about that summer you spent in the south, i like it. its calm and chill.
    angeleyes07on March 11, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General CommentThis is a great song that basically catches the Doobies at their best. It's a cross between California-rock, country, and folk, which blends nicely to create "Blackwater." The repeated verses at the end are extremely catchy and easy to pick up for anyone to sing along to!
    poisonedfan85on May 16, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Commenti never thought what this song was about but i really like it......it does seem like its about huck finn.....
    dasquien!on May 08, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General CommentThis song is so great. It actually became popular from playtime in my hometown, Roanoke, Va. I love this song and will never get sick of it.
    BigMac72on July 05, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI concur with ledskynyrd, the songwriter was a very avid Mark Twain fan.
    kamehameha00on November 30, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI love this song... it's all like... I can't really explain lol.
    PinkFloydrulezon February 09, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Commentman!
    This just came on the Radio and I realized that I knew every single word, but had no idea what it was called or who it was by. A little research showed me the Doobie Brothers. Now, I don't dig the Doobies much. Its a lot of bad stuff- but this is the exception!

    WHAT A FANTASTIC SONG! I would like to think its about Huck finn, becuase that just makes it cooler. How inticing.
    wouldbepirateon February 20, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI agree with poisonedfan85 about the description of the sound of the song. when I first heard the song, there was just something about that minor chord progression at the beginning of the song that made me want to continue listening....for some reason, this song reminds me of Michelle Philips from the mamas and the papas...probably because I spent too many nights listening to this song while reading her autobiography 'california dreamin'.
    beatrizon March 28, 2006   Link

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