Going Down the Road Feeling Bad was frequently recorded in the 1920s and 1930s by hillbilly artists such as Henry Whitter, Ernest Stoneman, and Fiddlin' John Carson. While the earliest commercial release dates only to 1923, these numerous recordings suggest currency in the oral tradition. Floating lyrics common to the song appear in other folksongs. Big Bill Broonzy also included it in his repertoire, and the song may have roots in the African-American tradition. So it is likely that this 'real migration song' of the Okies derived from material common to both black and white balladeers in the South and the Southwest.