Jock,

The first one is from Duncan And Brady (sometimes called Duncan's 'Lectric Car or King Brady). Not absolutely sure who the original tune was by, but (somebody correct me if my memory's faulty) I seem to remember it as a good 12-string piece done by either Leadbelly or Blind Willie McTell — more likely the former....

Hoyt Axton covered it well.

LEJ. Fully agree. Sometimes I think if you learned about 15 verses you could do 80 per cent of the blues tunes out there....

I think the magic is in how the music can make the words sound so good over and over. —— On second reading, that seems to be about the same thing you said, isn't it?

cheers,

david