Antecedents to this song have been posted before, especially in the thread on Steamboat Coonjine Songs, 54404: Coonjine Songs

Two verses from Newman I. White, "American Negro Folk Songs," collected in 1915, sung on Tennessee River boats, repeated from that thread (only fragments collected):

The boat's up the river and she won't come down,
I believe to my soul she must be water bound.

The boat's up the river and she won't come down,
One long-lonesome-blow and she won't come down.

Possibly related is this River song:

Lyr. Add: ALABAMA BOUND (steamboat song)

Oh, de boat's up de ribber,
An' de tide's gone down;
Believe to mah soul dat
She's Alabama boun'.

"Where was you, sweet Mama,
When de boat went down?"
"On de deck, baby, yellin',
'Alabama boun'!'"

Got a train in Cairo
Forty coaches long
All I want dat train to do
Is fetch mah gal along.

Doctuh Cook's in town,
Doctuh Cook's in town
He foun' de No'th Pole so doggone cold
He's Alabama boun'.

Sung by Tom Gregory of Georgia. From Satis N. Coleman and Adolph Bregman, 1942, "Songs of American Folks," pp. 62-63. Reproduced in Botkin, B. A., 1955 (1978 Bonanza), "A Treasury of Mississippi Folklore," p. 598 with music.
Many variants.