Kelly Pace and seven other prisoners, as noted in thread 39471 by Masato Sakurai (words posted), sang the song to Lead Belly and Lomax in 1934 at Cummins farm, AK, and Lead Belly revised the song for his repertoire. The original 1934 recording of Pace appears on "Negro Work Songs and Calls," Rounder No. 1517, with 18 other songs.

American Memory has the song, sung in 1939 by a group of prisoners at Cummins Farm, AK, but it has been influenced by the Ledbetter version. Unfortunately, they don't have the original Pace recording on line.