Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein wrote 'Ol' Man River' specifically with Star of the Month Paul Robeson in mind. Although not the first person to sing it, the song became his signature after he appeared in both the stage and film versions of SHOW BOAT. The lyrics, about life on the Mississippi, force audiences to ask questions about race relations. After the movie was released, Robeson transformed it from a song of despair into a song of resistance, performing it in solidarity of union workers