Recitation Song/Old Rivers

Walter Andrew Brennan (1894 – 1974) 미국 Massachusetts주 Lynn에서 태어난 배우겸 가수로 1936년, 1938년 그리고 1940년 아카데미 남우 조연상을 수상하였다. 'Old River's는 Cliff Crofford가 작사 작곡한 곡으로  1961년 Walter Brennan이  낭송하고 The Johnny Mann Singers가 백코러스로 참여하여 빌보드 챠트 5위에 오른곡이다. 어린소년이 당나귀 (Midnight)와 항상 밭을 갈구며 힘들게 살아가던 이웃집 아저씨 (Old Rivers)와 친분을 맺고 그의 힘든 삶과 나중에 밭을 갈지 않아도면화가 무성하고 옥수수가 익어가는 저세상(천국)에 갈것이라는 이야기를 들어가며. 이제는 추억이 되었지만.....   Walter Brennan /Old Rivers  Dave Dudley / Old Rivers      Old Rivers How old was I when I first seen old Rivers? I can't remember when he weren't around Well, that old fellow did a heap of work Spent his whole life walking plowed ground. He had a one-room shack not far from us And well, we was about as poor as him He had one old mule he called Midnight And I'd trailed along after them. He used to plow them rows straight and deep And I'd come along near behind A-bustin' up clods with my own bare feet Old Rivers was a friend of mine. That sun'd get high and that mule would work Till old Rivers'd say, "Whoa!" He'd wipe his brow, lean back on the reins And talk about a place he was gonna go. He'd say, one of these days I'm gonna climb that mountain Walk up there amoung the clouds Where the cotton's high And the corn's a-growin' And there ain't no fields to plow. I got a letter today from the folks back home and They're all fine and crops is dry Down at the end my mama said, "Son You know old Rivers died." Just sittin' here now on this new-plowed earth Trying to find me a little shade With the sun beating down 'cross the field I see That mule, old Rivers and me. Now, one of these days I'm gonna climb that mountain Walk up there amoung the clouds Where the cotton's high And the corn's a-growin' And there ain't no fields to plow. With the sun beating down 'cross the field I see That mule, old Rivers and me...