Annotation:Ohio River
X:1 T:Ohio River M:2/4 L:1/8 R:Reel B:George P. Knauff - Virginia Reels, vol. 4 (1839, p. 5) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:F c|d/f/d/f/ c/f/c/f/|d/f/d/f/ c/f/c/f/|dd/f/ cc/f/|BB/e/ [Acf]c| d/B/d/f/ c/A/c/f/|d/B/d/f/ c/A/c/f/|f/B/d/f/ c/A/c/f/|B/G/B/e/ [Acf]|| F/G/|A/B/A/G/ F/E/F/G/|A/c/c/d/ c F/G/|A/c/B/A/ G/B/A/G/|F/E/F/G/ F f/g/| a/b/a/g/ f/e/f/g/|a/c'/c'/d'/ c'f/g/|a/c'/b/a/ g/b/a/g/|f/e/f/g/ f|| c|f>f e/f/e/f/|f/g/f/g/ dz|d/c/d/c/ A/c/f/c/|G/B/e/c/ [Acf] c| f>f e/f/e/f/|g/f/g/f/ dz|d/c/d/c/ A/c/f/c/|G/B/e/c/ [Acf]||
OHIO RIVER. AKA and see "Boatsman (2)." American, Reel (2/4 time). F Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. The melody appears under this title set as a reel in George P. Knauff's Virginia Reels, volume IV [1] (Baltimore, 1839). However, the tune is more familiar as that of the minstrel stage song "Annotation:Boatsman (2)," credited to Dan Emmett (1843), the chorus words suppling Knauff with his "Ohio River" title.
Dance, boatman dance,
Oh dance, boatman dance.
Oh dance all night ’til broad day light,
Go home with the girls in the morning.
Hi ho the boatman row,
Floating down the river on the Ohio.