I thought it was "there goes *the* Robert E. Lee," and that the point was that the only thing to make life less boring and drudge-filled was to watch a steamboat going by...
But I am prone to overinterpret song lyrics, having once found a deep
meaning in "memory is an elephant, a-playing in the band..."
Brad DeLong
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Now that you mention it, that was my recollection too.
I just checked and you're right. There are other little mistakes in the lyrics I posted as well, none as serious as confusing the General with the steamboat.
That's the problem with foreign imports.
mbs