Dylan himself first recorded the song at New York's Blue Rock Studio when he was backed by Leon Russell and session musicians, including Jesse Ed Davis on lead guitar.
During the March 1971 sessions at Blue Rock Studio, Dylan also recorded a solo version with slightly different lyrics, accompanying himself on piano.
[2] Los Lobos' Steve Berlin cited it as his favorite Dylan song in a 2021 Stereogum article, writing, "I love the way he creates such a vivid world in a three-minute song, and as a former constant traveler myself he captures the often delightful feeling of disconnection in a new unfamiliar place, and then the line about the land of Coca-Cola brings it all back home".
[3] Dylan performs the song live (as a duet with Bob Neuwirth) during the opening credits of his 1978 film Renaldo and Clara.
The live debut occurred at the War Memorial Auditorium in Plymouth, Massachusetts on October 30, 1975 and became a mainstay of the Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour, appearing on the setlist in more than 340 consecutive nights between 2021 and 2024.
Though Grateful Dead vocalist Bob Weir sang lead on the song when it was played by the band, lead singer Jerry Garcia had played the song as early as 1972 with Merl Saunders and John Kahn, both of whom would become members of the Jerry Garcia Band.
Sturgill Simpson covered it at Massey Hall in Toronto, Ontario on November 21, 2024, telling the audience "here's a Canadian song for you".