The oldest known print edition is in the 1911 Church of God hymnal Select Hymns for Christian Worship and General Gospel Service;[1] its only attribution is "Arr.

The Stamps-Baxter version was set to a new musical arrangement by Gospel composer and publisher J. R. Baxter, and was initially credited "As sung by the Burnette Sisters".

He claimed that his grandfather, an itinerant preacher named W. A. Fletcher, wrote the song while travelling in the Indian Territories near the end of 1911.

According to Greer, Fletcher wrote the song as a reflection of his sadness that he would not be present for the birth of his first-born child, as he felt his priorities were with his mission to the Indian Territories.

[11] The song has also been recorded by Hank Williams, Glen Campbell, Florida Boys, Van Dyke Parks, Pete Seeger, Roy Acuff, Johnny Cash, Sam Cooke, Elvis Presley, Mississippi John Hurt, Bill Anderson, Ellen McIlwaine, Smoking Popes, Josh Garrels, Brad Paisley and the Million Dollar Quartet among others.