The song was performed by Floyd Canada; the form and arrangement of stanzas is his, but the verses show his collection, inclusion and mastery of, a number of secular African-American songs of the period.

At the time of collection, several of the songs from which lines came would not have been known to Dr. Webb. In the article covering this and other African-American songs that he collected, he remarked that this song was "the most valuable find of my collection- a negro song which I have with conceit named "The African Iliad."

Rarely does one find an extended performance of this type; many collections are of half-remembered fragments. Early 'race' recordings, of course, are seldom much longer than three minutes.