This one seems to go back to the 19th century - it first crops up as The Maid Freed From the Gallows, in West Virginia at the start of the 20th, so I figured this needed an Appalachian feel. There have been many fine versions. Leadbelly did an extraordinary, frenetic version in 1939, and there's a great one from Odetta in the 1960s. There's a great version by Appalachian Road Show online. One of my favourites is by Willie Watson (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NedEQ6sHloE), which inspired this one. There's a kind of Ry Cooder vibe to it too.
