The version of "Gypsy Davey" (also commonoly spelled as "Davy")that Spaw presents above is Woody's adaptation of the traditional British ballad known as "Gypsy Laddie," "Black Jack Davy," etc.

Woody recorded "Gypsy Davy" for the Library of Congress on January 4, 1941 and for Asch Records (the forerunner to Folkways) in April 1944. Both recordings predate the birth of Arlo Guthrie in 1947 or the copyrighting of the arrangement in 1961 (when Arlo was all of 14).

Trivia note: Arlo's middle name, Davy, was in honor of Gypsy Davy.