The first known recording is from 1923 by Henry Whitter, an Appalachian singer,[2][3] as "Lonesome Road Blues".
The earliest versions of the lyrics are from the perspective of an inmate in prison with the refrain, "I'm down in that jail on my knees" and a reference to eating "corn bread and beans.
"[4] The song has been recorded by many artists such as Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Skeeter Davis, Elizabeth Cotten, and the Grateful Dead, and the song is featured in To Bonnie from Delaney, "Mountain Jam", Born and Raised World Tour, The Grapes of Wrath, and Lucky Stars.
Others who recorded it include Cliff Carlisle (also as "Down in the Jail on My Knees"), Woody Guthrie (also as "Blowin' Down This Road" or "I Ain't Gonna Be Treated This Way"), Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Roy Hall, Elizabeth Cotten and the Grateful Dead, Delaney and Bonnie, Canned Heat and Dillard Chandler.
It takes a ten dollar shoe to fit my foot It takes a ten dollar shoe to fit my foot It takes a ten dollar shoe to fit my foot, Great God And I ain't a-gonna be treated this a-way 6.
One line of this song is quoted verbatim in the song "Everybody's Talkin'", written by Fred Neil and popularized by Harry Nilsson: Going where the weather suits my clothes American country artist, Skeeter Davis, notably covered the track under the title "Goin' Down the Road (Feelin' Bad)".
[7][8] Davis took a more traditional approach to recording for her 1966 album My Heart's in the Country, which included "Goin' Down the Road (Feelin' Bad)".
[5] The track was cut at the RCA Victor Studios located in Nashville, Tennessee in June 1966.
[9] "Goin' Down the Road (Feelin' Bad)" was released as a single by RCA Victor in September 1966.
[7] The song was included on Davis's 1966 studio album called My Heart's in the Country.