Like many of the songs on my life's soundtrack, my Dad used to sing this one. I remember all the campfires and sing-alongs we had growing up. This was one of my favorites.

But it's most memorable to me during my college years when I'd stumble upon the local cover band Cold Beans and Bacon playing at some bar.

At that time, when we went out bar hopping in downtown Missoula - the perfect place to bar hop, I was never looking for this band, but they always seemed to be playing when I needed them.

One night at Charlie's, my favorite bar in college and the several years immediately following when life was just winding up, they stuffed themselves into a corner of the room so small that they could barely strum their guitars or bang their drums.

Honestly, it might have been the first time I saw them, because I remember being disappointed that the pool tables were moved to the side and unavailable. Either that or they were taking a break and I didn't realize it was them.

Cold Beans and Bacon always played Jambalaya, and usually late, or in the encore. Yes, a bar cover band with an encore. The nights usually started off tame but by the time Jambalaya was going, everyone was lubricated and sweaty and dancing around.

It was so much fun. And the best part was the repeated surprise discovery and I'd usually stay even if my friends wanted to move on. I had to wait for the reward of hearing their high-energy cover of the Hank William's classic.

Hank's version is short, but CBB would jam like the Grateful Dead for a good ten minutes while the entire bar melted down in a joyful frenzy.

Official audio on YouTube.

This boogie woogie version is closer to what Cold Beans and Bacon played

I 'liked' this version probably in 2008 and love it; when I play it, it's about like this.

Wikipedia.