Hi Kip, these may not be right because I couldn’t ever find an official lyric sheet. But the first word you’re looking for is Cairo (a town south of St Louis that locals pronounce Cay-row).

The other words you’re looking for are ”the Julia Belle Swain” which was a steamboat that John Hartford used to write about in a lot of his songs.

You can take me back to a good old home I love

And the people that taught in that Mississippi Valley

Even on a Sunday morning you know that I'll be there

And we all come back for to be with you good neighbor

Live a good life in the Mississippi Valley

Down on the river you know that's where I want to be

And the night comes on like a blanket, chilly winds,

People come out in the Mississippi Valley

Western Kentucky, Cairo, over in South St. Louis

There's a baseball game at the Legion Post on Tuesday

Have a good ride on the Julia Belle Swain, go down to the river

And you know that's where I want to be

[CHORUS]

And the fields of corn and the banjo music

Catfish fry and a towboat payload

Pushing upstream against the stars

And a letter come back from a girl in Calhoun County

Here in the middle of the Mississippi Valley

I'm in love and you know that's where I want to be

And the fields of corn and the banjo music

Catfish fry and a towboat payload

Pushing upstream against the stars

And a letter come back from a girl in Calhoun County

Here in the middle of the Mississippi Valley

I'm in love and you know that's where I want to be

Thanks Chris ... challenging crooked song to play and so far impossible for me to sing. As with most things I'm hoping to solve with time and practice. Great lyric. I had dismissed John Hartford for years based soley on appearance and banjo ... what a mistake that was. Thanks again!