There is another version in Roy Palmer's 'Ballad History of England'. Substituting John Ball for John Bull changes the flavour somewhat. The verse about bank failures strikes a chord.

JORDAN dated 1857 in Roy Palmer's Ballad History of England
(Words from memory as the book went back to the library a year ago)

I looked to the East and I looked to the West
I saw John Bull a-coming according
With four blind horses driving through the clouds
To look upon the other side of Jordan

Pull off my old coat, roll up my sleeve
Jordan is a hard road to travel, I believe

The Spirit of the Seas she came to Liverpool
In less than fourteen days all according
John Bull he rubbed his eyes and he gazed with surprise
At a Yankee ship the other side of Jordan

There were snakes in Ireland not very long ago
St Patrick saw that vermin all a-crawling
He upped with his shillelagh and hit them on the head
And sent them to the other side of Jordan

There was a dreadful shindig and mutiny in India
Sir Colin Campbell went there, according
And with our British boys he tamed those *black Sepoys
And sent them to the other side of Jordan

There is great stagnation all in the British nation
The banks they are all failing too, according
I'm very much afraid if we don't get better trade
We'll be going to the other side of Jordan

Jonah spent three days in the belly of the whale
Three days and two nights too, according
He tickled him with a chaff which made him for to laugh
And he chucked him on the other side of Jordan

The ladies of England have made a big address
'Bout slavery and horrors too, according
But they'd better look at home unto their own white slaves
Who are starving on the English side of Jordan

Adam and Eve in Eden's garden dwelt
Eating all the best fruit, according
Adam laid Eve all under a gooseberry bush
While looking on the other side of Jordan

Adam and Eve they wore out their old clothes
They had nothing to put on according
So they took fig leaves **and made themselves a coat
To cover up the other side of Jordan

*I sing 'fierce'
** Not sure about the second half of this line

Valmai (Lewes)