bfreeh posted only half the song in 1999, and gave no attribution. And that's the version that was incorporated into the Digital Tradition - twice. I posted the second half of the song a few months later, but I guess the harvesters missed it. Here's the whole song:

THIS OL' RIVERBOAT
(Randy Sparks)

This ol' riverboat walkin' up the river,
Keep her steady as you go;
Heave the lead and pay the line,
Now we're markin' on the twine;
Four fathoms below,
Way up the river we go.

This ol' riverboat walkin' by the levee,
Keep her steady as you go;
Yes, I think I hear the captain say,
Full ahead we're on our way;
Three fathoms below,
Way up the river we go.

Keep on a-movin' gotta beat ol' Dixie,
Or we'll come back empty I know;
Way down the river I can hear her whistle blow.

This ol' riverboat churnin' muddy water,
Ease er' down and take it slow;
Can't you hear that grumblin' sound,
Lord, I think we've run aground;
No fathoms below,
You'd better pray it ain't so.

Oh, we're muckin' bottom, and here comes ol' Dixie,
Singin' who's got that cotton to sell;
Ah, but when she's passin',
We're risin' high on her swell.

We're on the move again.

These two riverboats, racin' up the river,
Then ol' Dixie runs aground,
There she stands high and dry,
And we're walkin' right on by;
I can see the lights of town.
We're gonna roll that cotton down.

[instrumental bridge]

Oh, this ol' riverboat's seen a lot of water,
Lot of cotton, you can bet;
You can ask anyone you meet,
And they'll say she can't be beat;
She ain't never been yet.
Can't you hear her whistle blow.
Way up the river we go.

Walkin' up the river we go;
Up and down the river we go.

Walkin' up the river we go;
Up and down the river we go.

The songwriter was Randy Sparks, recorded by the New Christy Minstrels in 1964.

@river @boat
filename[ STMBOAT
BF

The two Digital Tradition entries:

• 10214
• 7278

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This reminds me of stories I've read of stemboats on the Sacramento River. Races were common, and sometimes they resulted in boilers blowing up. I'm sure this was common also on the Mississippi, Ohio, and other rivers in the U.S. I get a certain evil pleasure out of knowing that the "historic" Mississipi riverboat, the Delta Queen, was built in 1926 and served as a Sacramento riverboat. It was painted grey during World War II and served on the Sacramento River as a troop ship. After the war, it was moved to the Mississippi River and given a bow gangplank to make it look like it belonged on the Mississippi. Her sister ship, the Delta King is moored at Sacramento as a floating hotel, restaurant, and theater.

-Joe-