this is a song about the julia belle swain oh the julia belle swain is a mighty fine boat got a mighty fine captain too got a big red wheel that goes around and around and a bunch of old hippies for a crew well i can t stay here well i gotta get away i m chattanooga tennessee bound gonna get my banjo and put it on my back when the julia belle comes down when the julia belle comes down when the julia belle comes to peoria you know that summer s here and up on the illinois river that s the very best time of the year those steam boat days in august like a hazy lazy dream i want to be at the foot of main street when the julia belle raises steam when the julia belle raises steam well dennis and moon and bob burnett and doc and murray too are one big steamboat family and the julia belle steamboat crew me i tell you i gotta getta away i m chattanooga tennessee bound gonna get my banjo and put it on my back when the julia belle comes down when the julia belle comes down now the julia belle swain is a women s lib boat the first i ever knew got girls in the pilothouse and girls on deck and a lady in the engine room now donna s got her license cindy s learning to steer little julie keeps moon outa trouble by wandering off everywhere by wandering off everywhere  when the julia belle gets in a steamboat race she s a mighty hard boat to beat she raced the belle of louisville she beat the delta queen she don t need no help to get her turned around she ll come right around on a dime and after the race she heads up the river cause the julia belle s still got time cause the julia belle s still got time well i sure do love the tennessee river the ohio and the illinois and i love the old mississippi river it s a good old place for a boy just to step on board the steamboat ride all the way to the sea where else but a muddy old river would a person want to be would a person want to be well i come up the river the other night darker than the inside of a cow ain t nothin like a crooked old river straighten my head right out now i love my love she s pretty as could be and i love to take her down those pretty ladies really like to ride when the julia belle comes down when the julia belle comes down