Lyrics:

(performed by Tom Petty)

The old man, he catches the fish in the morning
He rides the river every day
I sit on the bank and I holler when he passes
'Hey, old man, are they bitin' today?'

I wake up in the morning thinking 'bout my troubles
I go down to the water and they pass away
And when the old man comes a-floating down the river
'Hey, old man, are they bitin' today?'
'Hey, old man, are they bitin' today?'

Now here we've got a thing that keeps on rolling
It ain't heavy, don't take it that way
The old man and me, we got a good thing goin'
He catches fish and I sit all day
He catches fish and I sit all day