Peak
1
Weeks
17
Score
3,378
Chart Year
1975
Patrick Simmons, who is the group's guitarist, wrote this song and sang lead. It has the Louisiana swamp rock feel of earlier Doobie Brothers songs like "Toulouse Street" and "Black Eyed Cajun Woman." The song is about the Mississippi River, with lyrics likely inspired by Mark Twain's books Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, which tell stories about rafting down the river. "Black Water" wasn't seen as having hit potential, so it was relegated to the B-side of "Another Park, Another Sunday" in March 1974. "Black Water" wasn't issued as an A-side until November, and it didn't reach #1 until March 15, 1975. In a Songfacts interview with Tom Johnston, the Doobie Brothers frontman explained how the song became an unlikely hit. Said Johnston: "That's a story that could have happened back then, but never would ever ever happen now: Roanoke, Virginia picked that tune up and started playing it in heavy rotation, and somebody in Minneapolis who I guess knew somebody in Roanoke heard the song and decided to follow suit, and it ended up becoming our first #1 single. That was Pat's first single. And oddly enough, it was never looked at as a single by the record company. I remember when I first heard it was #1, we were in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and we were just getting ready to go on stage, and then I guess Bruce [their manager Bruce Cohn] must have told us. I think we were already aware of the fact that it was getting airplay, but nobody was really paying a lot of attention. And then all of a sudden it became #1 and we were paying attention. I remember I went in and congratulated Pat backstage, and we've been playing it ever since." The band lost lead singer Tom Johnston to illness in 1975, but found a capable replacement in Michael McDonald, who was with them until their split in 1982. When they re-grouped in 1988, Johnston took over as frontman. The Doobie Brothers are one of the few bands with hits sung by three different singers: Johnston, McDonald, and thanks to "Black Water," Patrick Simmons. The Doobie Brothers performed this in a 1978 episode of the TV show What's Happening!! where they teach the characters on the show about the dark side of bootlegging. The United States private security firm Blackwater was named for the dark water swamps of North Carolina, where the company is based. After criticism of the company's conduct during the Iraq War, they changed their name to "Xe" (pronounced "Z") in 2009.
Well, I built me a raft and she's ready for floatin' Ol' Mississippi, she's callin' my name Catfish are jumpin', that paddle wheel thumpin' Black water keeps rollin' on past just the same Old black water, keep on rollin' Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me? Old black water, keep on rollin' Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me? Old black water, keep on rollin' Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me? Yeah, keep on shinin' your light Gonna make everything Pretty mama, gonna make everything all right And I ain't got no worries 'Cause I ain't in no hurry at all Well, if it rains, I don't care Don't make no difference to me Just take that streetcar that's goin' uptown Yeah, I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland and dance a honky-tonk And I'll be buyin' ev'rybody drinks all 'roun' Old black water, keep on rollin' Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me? Old black water, keep on rollin' Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me? Old black water, keep on rollin' Mississippi moon, won't you keep on shinin' on me? Keep on shinin' your light Gonna make everything, everything Gonna make everything all right And I ain't got no worries 'Cause I ain't in no hurry at all I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland Pretty mama, come and take me by the hand (By the hand) hand (take me by the hand) pretty mama Gonna dance with your daddy all night long I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland Pretty mama, come and take me by the hand By the hand, take me by the hand, pretty mama (I wanna honky-tonk, honky-tonk) Gonna dance with your daddy night long (honky-tonk with you all long) I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland Pretty mama, come and take me by the hand By the hand, take me by the hand, pretty mama (I wanna honky-tonk, honky-tonk) Gonna dance with you all night long (honky-tonk with you all long) I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland Pretty mama, come and take me by the hand By the hand, take me by the hand, pretty mama (I wanna honky-tonk, honky-tonk) Gonna dance with you all night long (honky-tonk with you all long) I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland Pretty mama, come and take me by the hand By the hand, take me by the hand, pretty mama (I wanna honky-tonk, honky-tonk) Gonna dance with you all night long (honky-tonk with you all long) I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland Pretty mama, come and take me by the hand By the hand, take me by the hand, pretty mama (I wanna honky-tonk, honky-tonk) Gonna dance with you all night long (honky-tonk with you all long)
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec 21, 1974 | 75 | 51 |
| 2 | Dec 28, 1974 | 59 | 67 |
| 3 | Jan 4, 1975 | 46 | 80 |
| 4 | Jan 11, 1975 | 38 | 88 |
| 5 | Jan 18, 1975 | 24 | 102 |
| 6 | Jan 25, 1975 | 20 | 106 |
| 7 | Feb 1, 1975 | 16 | 110 |
| 8 | Feb 8, 1975 | 7 | 119 |
| 9 | Feb 15, 1975 | 5 | 121 |
| 10 | Feb 22, 1975 | 4 | 122 |
| 11 | Mar 1, 1975 | 3 | 123 |
| 12 | Mar 8, 1975 | 2 | 124 |
| 13 | Mar 15, 1975 | 1 | 125 |
| 14 | Mar 22, 1975 | 4 | 122 |
| 15 | Mar 29, 1975 | 18 | 108 |
| 16 | Apr 5, 1975 | 41 | 85 |
| 17 | Apr 12, 1975 | 50 | 76 |