Well, here it is. Another mystery at least traced to it's origin. What we have above is folk-processing, as initiated by Leadbelly and interpreted from his recordings by others. I'm not sure what makes the best song, or whether the song is even "finished" but it's nice to know where it came from:

Words by E.Y. Harburg, Music by Earl Robinson ©Harburg & Robinson
In REPRINTS FROM SING OUT!, Vol. 7-12, 1964-1973, pp. 110-111

THE SAME BOAT, BROTHER
(E.Y. Harburg, words; & Earl Robinson, music)
Chorus:

We're in the same boat, brother,
We're in the same boat, brother,
And if you shake one end you're gonna rock the other,
It's the same boat, brother.

Oh, the Lord looked down, from His Holy place,
Say, "Lordy me, what a sea of space;
What a spot to launch the human race;"
So He built Him a boat for a mixed-up crew,
With eyes of black and brown and blue,
So that's how come that you and I
Got just one world with just one sky. (CHO)

Oh, the boat rolled on through storm and grief,
Past many a rock and many a reef,
What kept 'em goin' was a great belief
That they had to learn to navigate.
For the human race was special freight;
If we don't want to be in Jonah's shoes,
We'd better be mates on this here cruise.

'Cause it's the same boat, brother,
We're in the same boat, brother,
And if you shake one end you're gonna rock the other,
It's the same boat, brother.

When the boilers blew somewhere in Spain,
The keel was smashed in the far Ukraine,
And the steam poured out from Oregon to Maine;
Oh, it took some time for the crew to learn
What's bad for the bow ain't good for the stern;
If a hatch takes fire in China Bay
Pearl Harbor's decks gonna blaze away.

For it's the same boat, brother,
Yes, it's the same boat, brother,
And we must live with each other,
In the same boat, the very same boat, brother.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble