Hi Joe, the note in the CD booklet for 'Black Texicans' is quite brief. Performed by Phineas Rockmore (v,gtr) and recorded by John and Ruby Lomax in 1940 in Lufkin, Texas. The note:

This extremely funny song likely represents a development of the theme heard in 'He Rambled'; certainly, the melody and the spirit of the two songs are very similar. Rather than identify with a lusty ram though, the hero is now the near-indestructable travelling man, one of the classic inventions of black folklore. He flouts every law and thwarts every attempt to bring him down, defying gravity and physics in the process.

Some verses of the song allude to legends about slaves who were able to fly and spirit themselves back to Africa by sheer will.

Roy Bookbinder recorded a fine rendition of Pink Anderson's version on a record of that title. The record has been reissued on CD: Roy Bookbinder 'Travelin' Man' Adelphi/Genes GCD 1017. As Murray pointed out above, Anderson's version has many differences to the 'Black Texicans' text.

The 'Black Texicans' text in the booklet has 'coon' in place of 'fool'. This suggests a late 19th or early 20th century origin for the song.

--Stewie.