"I've Been Floating Down the Old Green River" is a 1915 song with words by Bert Kalmar and music by Joe Cooper.
The song is sung from the point of view of a husband who has to explain to his wife why he stayed out until 4:30 in the morning. He states that he has been floating down the old Green River on the good ship "Rock and Rye", where he got "stuck on a bar". The tag line in the lyric is:
I had to drink the whole Green River dry
To get back home to you.
The song is a play on words, as Green River was a popular brand of whiskey at the time.[1]
The popular vocalist Billy Murray recorded the song on March 11, 1915 for Victor Records (catalog No. 17885B).[2] His rendition was sampled in the 2024 hip-hop song "Otonoke" by Japanese duo Creepy Nuts as the opening theme song for the anime Dandadan.[3] [4]
Russ Morgan and His Orchestra recorded the song for Decca Records (catalog No. 24834) in 1949.[5]
Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen included the song on the 1964 album Jazz Band Ball and it was later included in the compilation The Pye Jazz Albums (2003).[6]