"Ramblin' Man" is one of Williams' few minor key compositions and is sung rather than spoken, unlike the other recitations he recorded as "Luke the Drifter," an alter ego created by Williams and producer Fred Rose to let jukebox operators know that the heavily moralistic recitations were not typical Hank Williams honky tonk singles.
The song's three verses, all ending in the title line, are sung straight through with no pause for instrumental solos.
The song tells the story of a man trapped in his drifting ways, doomed to break his lover's heart.
The haunting spectre of the train - also a recurring image in many of Hank's compositions - is prominent.
"[4] Williams' version was recorded in Nashville with Fred Rose producing on June 1, 1951.