I feel this song is best introduced by Leadbelly here:

"They called the sun Old Hannah because it was hot and they just give it a name. That's what the boys called it when I was down in prison. I didn't hear it before I went down there. The boys were talking about Old Hannah--I kept looking and I didn't see no Hannah, but they looked up and said, "That's the sun."

GO DOWN OLD HANNAH

Oh go down Old Hannah, well well well,
Don't you rise no more, don't you rise no more,
Why don't you go down Old Hannah, don't you rise no more.

Well I looked at Old Hannah, well well well,
She was turning red, she was turning red,
Well I looked at Old Hannah, it was turning red.

Well I looked at my partner, well well well,
He was almost dead, he was almost dead,
Well I looked at my partner, he was almost dead.22

Go down old Hannah, don't you rise no more,
And if you rise in the morning, set this world on fire.
If you had been on the river somewhere in 1910,

They was driving the women just as hard as they do the men.
You go down old Hannah and don't rise no more,
So if you rises in the morning bring judgment day.

So why don't you go down old Hannah, don't you rise no more,
And if you do rise in the morning, change this world around.
[intentional period for rest]

Well you ought to been down on this old river, well, well, well,
Nineteen forty-four, nineteen forty-four,
Oughta been down on this old river, nineteen forty-four.

Well you could find a dead man, well, well, well,
On every turn row, on every turn row,
You could find a dead man, on every turn row.

I say get up dead man, well, well, well,
Help me carry my row, help me carry my row,
I say get up dead man, help me carry my row.

Well my row so grassy, well, well, well,
I can't hardly go, can't hardly go.
Well my row so grassy, I can't hardly go.