This Ol' Riverboat

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

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

(Here she comes!)

(I can see her now!)

This ol' riverboat

Churnin' muddy water

Ease 'er down, and take it slow

Can't you hear that rumblin' sound?

Lord, I think we've run aground

No fathoms below

You'd better pray it ain't so

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

(Ah-ha! Yeah!)

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

This ol' riverboat

Seen a lot of water

Lot of cotton, you can bet

You can ask anyone you meet

They say she can't be beat

She ain't never been, yet

Can't you hear that whistle blow?

Way up the river, we go!

Walkin' up the river, we go

Up and down the river, we go