This is *not* the version by John Hartford, although I believe the title to be the same. Any help in learning the rest of the lyrics, title, sources, tune, etc., will be most appreciated. I am a lurker who is constantly amazed at the depth of knowledge of Mudcat listers and by their willingness to share that knowledge. Thanks in advance, George Barnett.
All I know of the song are the following lyrics:
"I started out to be a towboat man but I never got the hang of a ratchet bar. I was truckin' up north in the Illinois hills with coal dust in my ears. I got stuck in the ice on Christmas Eve and I froze my ass, it's true. Just a blankety blankety blankety blank with the Steamboat whistle blues."