Boomer’s Story

The title track was previously recorded as ½The Railroad Boomer½ by Bud Billings (aka Frank Luther) and Carson Robison in a performance recorded at the studio at Liederkranz Hall in New York on September 9, 1929 (Victor V-40139).
Although it is credited on Cooder’s album as ½traditional,½ Robison was awarded a copyright and the song ½can’t be shown to have circulated in oral tradition.½
Gene Autry recorded it in December of the same year.
In the 1930s the song was recorded for Decca Records by the Rice Brothers’ Gang, in 1939 by Roy Acuff & His Smoky Mountain Boys, in 1941 by Riley Puckett for RCA, and in the 1950s by Cisco Houston (as ½The Rambler½) and by The New Lost City Ramblers, who included Cooder’s guitar teacher, Tom Paley.

Personnel:
Bass - Tommy McClure
Clarinet - Charles Lawing
Drums - Jim Keltner, Roger Hawkins
Guitar, Vocals on ½President Kennedy½ - Sleepy John Estes recorded in Collierville, Tennessee
Harmonica - Gene Finney
Horns - George Bohanon
Percussion - Milt Holland
Piano on ½Rally ’Round the Flag½ - Randy Newman
Piano, Bass - Jim Dickinson
Voices - Dan Penn, Jim Dickinson

(Wikipedia)