Dr John, according to the notes to the Smithsonian/Folkways CD Cisco Houston 'The Folkways Years 1944-1961', the words and music are down to Terry Gikyson and Neal Stuart and copyrighted in 1951. Cisco first recorded it on "Hard Travellin'" FA 2042 in 1954. As you noted, it also says that Frankie Laine recorded it in 1951.

--Stewie