Originally framed as a folk song, "Tobacco Road" was a semi-autobiographical tale of growing up in Durham, North Carolina.

Lou Rawls recorded the song as a slow blues and released it as a single in 1963, although it didn't chart; it also became the title track of his subsequent album.

[5] The song appeared on Edgar Winter's debut album Entrance in 1970, and in a 17-minute live version on his 1972 double LP Roadwork.

In the 1970s, songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman claimed to have been inspired by "Tobacco Road" while writing The Sweet's Block Buster!, after accusations of stealing the guitar riff from David Bowie's "Jean Genie".

[6] In 1986, "Tobacco Road" was included on David Lee Roth's Eat 'em and Smile album, reaching #10 on the Billboard Rock chart.