<Tr> <Td> U.S. Cash Box </Td> <Td> 21 </Td> </Tr> <P> Johnny Cash recorded the song on his 1975 album John R. Cash . Old - time musician Jimmy Arnold recorded the song on his album Southern Soul, which was composed of songs associated with the Southern side of the Civil War . A fairly large - scale orchestrated version of the song appears on the 1971 concept album California' 99 by Jimmie Haskell, with lead vocal by Jimmy Witherspoon . Others to record versions include Don Rich, Steve Young, John Denver, the Allman Brothers Band, Derek Warfield . the Charlie Daniels Band, Big Country, the Dave Brockie Experience, Vikki Carr, Richie Havens, the Black Crowes, the Jerry Garcia Band, Sophie B. Hawkins, Legion of Mary, and the Zac Brown Band have included it on live albums . </P> <P> Glen Hansard (of the Frames and the Swell Season), accompanied by Lisa Hannigan and John Smith, performed the song in July 2012 for The A.V. Club's A.V. Undercover: Summer Break series . </P> <P> The 1972 song "Am Tag als Conny Kramer starb" ("On the Day That Conny Kramer Died"), which uses the tune of the song, was a number - one hit in West Germany for singer Juliane Werding . The lyrics are about a young man dying because of his drug addiction . In 1986, the German band Die Goldenen Zitronen made a parody version of this song with the title "Am Tag als Thomas Anders starb" ("On the Day That Thomas Anders Died"). </P>

The night they drove old dixie down lyrics and meaning