I think I first heard this song when Robin & Linda Williams sang it on Prairie Home Companion several years ago, and I loved it immediately. I think Doc Watson has also recorded a version (but I can't find it), and it's on the Black Texicans CD of the Alan Lomax "Deep River of Song" Collection. I found the lyrics here (click). Can anybody furnish more information about the song? I returned the Texicans CD to the library - does anybody have it, and can you tell us what the CD booklet says?
-Joe Offer-

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TRAVELING MAN

Tell this story bout a traveling man
Born down in Tennessee
Made a living by a-stealing chickens
And he stole everything he see
He stole 10,000 dollars
And he tore off down the road
Made no difference how fast a train run
This fool would get on board

He was a traveling man
Tell you was a traveling man
Travelingest fool ever come through the land
He traveled east and he traveled west
He's known for miles around
He didn't give up, he wouldn't give up
Til the police shot him down

This fool stole 10,000 dollars
Right in the broad day time
The people all said he was desperate
For doing such a brave old crime
That desperate old fool said take comfort
He told his people not to cry
He crossed his legs and winked one eye
And sailed up to the sky.

Now he's taken a Springfield rifle
Shot this fool through the head
The fool come tumbling down from the sky
Everybody thought he was dead
They boxed him up, sent him down south
To drive away his mother's care
She went to open the coffin and look at her darling son
He begin to disappear.

This fool went to Liverpool England
Just to swim the ocean blue
He saw the Titanic coming 10 miles away
And he ride it the whole day through
The people all said he was crazy
Everybody called him a fool
But when the Titanic sunk in the deep blue sea
He was shooting dice in Liverpool

Now they sent this fool to the spring
Just to get a couple buckets of water
The distance from that house back to that spring
Was only 10 miles and a quarter
He got his water all right
But he stubbed his foot and hit the ground
He run on home and got two more buckets
Caught that water fore it hit the ground