[2] The song's lyrics relate that the singer's lover has left her (in some descriptions just prior to their wedding).
[3][2] The song has been recorded by several artists and was the signature tune of Chicago folksinger Linda Parker.
[4] Performers recording the song include: Dick Burnett and Leonard Rutherford (1927);[3] the Carter Family (1927);[3] The Delmore Brothers (1938);[3] The Shelton Brothers and Curly Fox (1936);[3][5] and Ricky Skaggs and Tony Rice (1980).
[7] The lyrics are from the point of view of the original singer's lover, telling how he had not really left her, and that she was actually his true love and he had never meant for her to think otherwise.
[8] In October 2020, Dolly Parton spontaneously performed some lyrics from the song as a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, referencing her mother who used to sing it to her.