Show Boat (1936)

Paul Robeson: Joe

Photos 

Quotes 

• Joe : I just shell them peas.

  Queenie : You ain't pickin' them up.

  Joe : No, but I could've if you didn't. I could do a lotta things if it was necessary.

  Queenie : Then why don't you?

  Joe : It ain't necessary.

• Joe : [singing]  I gits weary / An' sick o' tryin' / I'm tired o' livin' / An' scared o' dyin' / But Ol' Man River / He jes' keeps rollin' along!

• Queenie : Joe, I believe you de laziest man dat evah lived on dis river.

  Joe : On dis river, Queenie? That's sayin' a whole lot. Yeah, that's sayin' a *whole* lot.

• Queenie : Dere you go again! Look at dem peas all over the floor.

  Joe : The River done it.

  Queenie : The River done it?

  Joe : The River can do most anything, Queenie.

• Joe : Ask Miss Julie what she thinks? Better ask Ol' River what he thinks. He knows all about dem boys. He knows all about everything.

  [singing] 

  Joe : There's a ol' man called the Mississippi, Dat's de ol' man dat I like to be, What does he care if de world's got troubles, What does he care if de land ain't free, Ol' man river Dat ol' man river, He mus' know sumpin', But don't say nuthin', He jes' keeps rollin', He keeps on rollin' along...

• Queenie : Joe. Joe! Where have you been slow poke? Why are you always draggin' them big feet like they's chunks of lead?

  Joe : Take your time, Queenie.

  Queenie : Take my time? I gotta have that flour to bake the bread with.

  Joe : They won't run away from you, Queenie. And if it do? They always be tomorrow.

• Queenie : [singing]  He can be happy wid jes' a sip of gin

  Joe : Why you all talkin' about gin?

  Queenie : I even loves him when his kisses got gin!

• Joe : Look at dat little gal shuffle!

• Joe : She'll be all right.

  Queenie : That's what you say about everythin'. You don't get excited - why? Cause you don't do nuthin'. You don't cook, like me. You don't act, like the show folks. You don't work on the tow boat. What do you do you?

• Joe : [singing]  Keep on a-naggin', 'n bullyraggin', 'n criticizin', 'n call me pizen, Ah ain't apologizin', no siree! No matter what you say, Ah still suits me...

• Doctor at Kim's Birth : Fine time to sing! Dragging me out of bed in the middle of the night, telling me the River had calmed down. Lying son of Satan!

  Joe : [singing]  No matter what you say, Ah still suits me

• Joe : [singing]  Darkies all work on de Mississippi, Darkies all work while de white folks play, Pullin' dose boats from de dawn to sunset, Gittin' no rest till de judgement day

  Black Chorus : Don't look up an' don't look down, You don' dar'st make de white boss frown, Bend your knees an' bow your head, An' pull dat rope until you're dead

  Joe : Let me go 'way from the Mississippi, Let me go 'way from de white man boss, Show me dat stream called de river Jordan, Dat's de ol' stream dat I long to cross...

• Joe : Why, dat's my fa-vo-right song!

  Queenie : [singing]  Mah man is shif'less, An' good for nuthin' too, He's mah man jes' de same, He's never near me, When dere's work to do...