At the time this first came up, I checked several of the college Carmina, and found nothing except in the 1894 (8th ed. Supplementary) where the "Levee Song" was first printed.
There are several minstrel songs that mention levees but none is suggestive of the Levee Song or Working on the railroad.
The song as printed in Carmina princetonia consisted of two verses and the chorus "I been wukkin' on de railroad Ter pass de time away. Doan' yuh hyah...."

The closest I have found is the 1861 minstrel song "Tapioca" by Edward Warden.

Lyr. Add: TAPIOCA
^^ Words and music by Edward Warden, 1861.

1
When I used to work upon the levee,
Many happy darkies there you see:
Cotton coming in so very heavy:
Oh! jolly! there was lots of work for me:
Black man hauling in the cargo:
Sum am very hot upon the head;
When he done, he dance a jolly jargo:
Rum tum!on the banjo, and then to bed!
Chorus:
To my oakum, to my chokum,
Oh! Pompey, can't you pick a peck of oakum?
Ah! Ah! ah! golly! ain't the levee-nigger free!
Solo:
Working on the cotton boat, ten shilling a day.
Johnny, can't you pick upon the banjo:
Chorus:
Oh, me! oh, my! ah mamma, mamma, mamma, don't you hear the baby cry?
2
When I used to work off in the river,
Sat in wood and water all the day:
Chilly wind he come, and make me shiver:
O glad this child he was to get away!
White man he gave me silver dollar,
Ev'ry day I work upon the dock;
Then I get some whiskey, and I holler:
Blom'e, blom'e, Caterrego rock!
Chorus, &c.
3
This child is fond of frigh'd 'tatoe,
Cat-fish, and coffee: oh! it's nice;
It make him feel just like an alligator,
When him just about to catch a mice.
When the bell he rings, I go to dinner;
Den I goes and see my Dinah dear;
I'll marry her, as sure as I'm a sinner,
And love her all the days that's in the year.
Chorus, &c.
Taken from a song sheet put out by H. De Marsan, NY. In American Memory; The sheet music by Oliver Ditson also at this web site. The De Marsan sheet also mentions that the music was published by G. D. Russell & Co., Boston.

Minstrel songs of this type often were reworked for different audiences, or at the whim of the performers.