The German lutheran church community involved in the disaster eventually relocated from the lower East Side of Manhattan to Trinity Lutheran Church in Middle Village in Queens, NY, near the cemetery where so many of the victims were buried. A few years ago, a good friend, (the late) Rev. Leo (Jay) Longan, became the pastor there, and I had a chance to ask him if there were any contemporary songs about the General Slocum in the church records or library. Although there were commemorative poems and oratories from anniversary gatherings, there were no songs from the early years after the disaster to be found there.

BUT--

Another friend, Jane Peppler, who loves to research Yiddish songs, DID find a song in Yiddish about the event, written by Max Zavodnik (1867-1920):

http://www.yiddishpennysongs.com/2020/05/di-brenende-exkoyrshun-shif-general.htm

A recording of Jane Peppler singing three verses and the chorus from the song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyeQc4xGvwI


Starting with the transliterated Yiddish of the verses she sings (and it's a longer song than this):

Di brenende exkoyrshun shif General Slocum

Af a sheynem zumer tog kumt an umgrerikhtn brokh
Getantst un gezungen vayl di muzik shpiln dokh
Plutsling vert ales gestopt! Der keptin kumt aroys.
"Kinder, mir zaynen in gefar, di flamen zaynen groys!"

"Oy, retet!" shrayen zey mit a groys geshrey.
Afn vaser zeyer tif brent a groyse ekskoyrshen shif.
"Oy, retet!" shrayen zey, "vind iz undz un vey!"
Un brekhn di hent - "Mir vern farbrent!
Oy retet!" shrayen zey.

A bisl frishe luft tsu khapn hot zikh zey geglust.
Un vos zey vet geshen hobn zey nit gevust.
Freylekh zaynen zey gegangen bagegenen dem toyt.
Punkt vi likht hobn zey gebrent lebedikerheyt.

Fayer, vaser un di erd hobn partnership gemakht.
Toyzend yunge lebns fun der velt zey umgebrakht.
Mames mit zeyere beybelekh hot der toyt tsu zikh farnart.
Tsvishn fayer un vaser zey tsuzamen geshpart.

Translation into English:

The burning excursion ship General Slocum

On a beautiful summer day came an unexpected catastrophe
They were dancing and singing while the music played.
Suddenly everything stopped! The captain came out.
"Children, we're in danger, the flames are high!"

"Oh, save us!" they shout with a great outcry.
On very deep water a big excursion ship is burning.
"Oy, save us!" they shout, "Woe is us!"
And wringing their hands - "We're burning!
Oy, save us!" they shout.

They just wanted to breathe a bit of fresh air.
They didn't know what would become of them.
They went, happy, to meet death.
Just like lights they burned alive.

Fire, water and the earth made a partnership,
They took a thousand young lives from the world.
Death enticed to itself mothers with their babies,
They were trapped between fire and water.


--Charlie Baum