Gillian Welch and David Rawlings released this song on her second album, “Time (The Revelator),” and the sparse arrangement and their muted harmonies perfectly captures the sad ending of a legend whose greatest triumphs were long behind him.
The song is much admired but seldom covered. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, even playing it acoustic, gave it more of a rock ‘n’ roll feel.
The song’s last verse, with its reference to the legend of John Henry, spells out its melancholy message of obsolescence, making it a perfect vehicle for the aging hip-shaker Tom Jones on his 2015 “Long Lost Suitcase” LP. Jones sang this a cappella before his producer backed it with what sounds like the steam drill that lost to John Henry.
