Big boat on the river hauling seven ton
Coming up from Natchez on the Memphis run
Paddle wheel a slipping and the keel done cracked
Mean old Mississippi trying to hold me back

Won't somebody tell my woman
Won't somebody tell my woman
Won't somebody tell my woman

Big boat up the river and it won't come down
Big boat up the river and it won't come down
Big boat up the river and it won't come down

Captain told the stokers well pack her tight
Got to get to Memphis by tomorrow night
Coming up the delta well the fathom set
Captain, Lord, Captain tell me where I at

Big boat a comin' in the pitch black night
That Mississippi fog that hits the pilot's light
Gauging, Mr gauger what's that rumblin' sound
Sandbank dead ahead and we done run on ground

My woman say she loves me and I know it's true
But I've done done something that you just don't do
Stayed from home too long and now I see
Some Natchez man is tryin' to take my gal from me

He's messing around with my woman
Messing around with my woman
He's messing around with my woman

When I go off this I'm gonna stay on land
Gonna take my little woman well a by the hand
Build me a cabin on a high old hill
Get me a rocking-chair and sit right still
But on some quiet night when the wind done rift
The sounds from the river will begin to drift
Some lonely rambler with a tearful eye
Will touch my heart with his mournful cry