Not that I don’t love the idea. And what a wonderful rumor that is: “A German family is interested in buying the Delta Queen.”, as obviously told to a visitor this year on the American Queen by a crew member.

Unfortunately we will not even be able to buy tickets for a single cruise on the Delta Queen in 2008, not to speak of buying the whole boat!

If 2008 is her last season (which I’m still sure won’t be the fact), then it’ll very likely happen without us. It’s a simple matter of financials. We just bought a new condo after heavy water damaged more or less forced us out of our old one. The Delta Queen doesn’t have triple occupancy staterooms, so for the three of us, Carmen, Leonie and me, this would be two almost fully paid cabins – check the 2008 rates and you know what our problem is …

We might buy the Delta Queen if …

… well, if we win the lottery (and I try hard, believe me!). When that happens, I’ll give Ambassador’s International a call to talk about the conditions of buying the boat.

We might cruise the Delta Queen if …

… well, if Majestic America Line gives us a generous discount (hint, hint! ;-). Then at least we’d be able to have a cruise on the Delta Queen, possible one last time. And I promise, if it’s not her last year in service, we’ll be supportive and happy passengers in the coming years.

Support from the distance

But as long as we don’t either win the lottery or some financial support from Majestic America Line, we’ll continue to fight to Save the Delta Queen publicly and in the background, but from the far away distance in Germany only.


What a nice rumor. Us buying the Delta Queen …

(just to avoid misinterpretion: This picture of course is a fake :-)

From how many steamboats can be said there are at least seven different songs written about them? The DELTA QUEEN can! Let me take you on a short but sentimental journey through these songs. Please let me know if I missed a DQ song.

"The whistle came out, such a deep mellow sound in the night"

First of all, there is John Hartford’s wonderful bluegrass song "Delta Queen Waltz" (from the album "Down On The River", 1989; at Amazon as music cassette or as MP3 download). Van Dyke Parks made a cover version of this song played by a country music orchestra (album: "Moonlight – Live At The Ash Grove", 1998).

"When you go, you take a lot of dreams"

There are two songs related to the first Save The Delta Queen campaign of 1970. The more famous one is the "Salute to the Delta Queen" song Johnny Cash presented as part of his legendary "The Johnny Cash Show" at the Nashville Ryman Auditorium (No. 35, Oct 14, 1970, ABC) which literally is a "Good Bye" song more than an enthusiastic "let’s save her" tune. Unfortunately it’s very hard to find a recording of this show. Bootleg DVDs show up at eBay from time to time.

"Mr. Muster called it treason"

The other song related to the 1970’s campaign is from a relatively unknown band named CARP which only published one album (simply named "Carp", 1970) plus this single record "Save the Delta Queen", a powerful rock’n'roll song in favor of the boat. Unfortunately not many people did hear the song than as it had been banished from all major radio stations: The term "damn" appeared in the lyrics – something unheard of in these days … The singer and drummer of the band Carp was a man who became famous with his second career as actor: Gary Busey.

"This old gal got a lot of soul" (Country Gentlemen)

Some more Delta Queen songs are from the famous The Country Gentlemen ("Delta Queen"; at Amazon as MP3 download), Rockabilly Hall of Fame member Bobby Joe Swilley ("Roll on Delta Queen", album: "Delta Pride", 2006; at CD Universe as music CD), Danny O’Keefe ("Delta Queen", album: "So long Harry Trueman", 1975; at Amazon as music CD; Danny O’Keefe website) and The Andy Owens Project ("Delta Queen", album: "A Compilation", 2007; Andy Owens website).

Ragtime Mary Greene

I include Jazzou Jones‘ "Ragtime Mary Greene" to this collection of Delta Queen songs, though strictily it’s not a DQ song. But Mary Greene and the Delta Queen do have such close ties that I think it belongs here anyway. Jazzou published this wonderful piano tune just last year and the premiere performances actually was on the Delta Queen. (sheet music "A Ragtime Trilogy" available from Jazzou Jones, e-mail: jazzou@aol.com, the music CD "Hilarity" can be ordered at thomasjonespiano.com).

The Online Petition on steamboats.org for an exemtion for the steamboat Delta Queen has more than 1,000 supporters as of today. People from all over the country are shocked and feeling very sad about the plans of the Congress not to issue a new exemption for the Delta Queen allowing her to run as an overnight passenger vessel past 2008.

As Tom & Lucy Claggett (Knoxville, MD) are writing it, being the 1,000st supporter of the petition: "To allow politics to take the Delta Queen out of service would be one more American tragedy. If Congress allows this, we should petition to be allowed to return to colonial status under England – we don’t deserve to be an independent nation."

How can one express his feelings more clearly than with this comment? And who doesn’t agree?

Definitely all of the supporters agree in what former Delta Queen Steamboat Company entertainer Laura Sable of Seattle, WA, writes in her comment: "It’s a journey back in time and a connection to the glorious history of our country. Save the DQ!"