Down to the River to Pray

The song is traditional and its exact origin is unknown. The earliest known version, titled The Good Old Way, was published in Slave Songs of the United States in 1867. Krauss sings it on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, where it runs 2:55, and the version in the film is built on a pentatonic scale. In 2003 she recorded it with Doc Watson and Ricky Skaggs for The Three Pickers.

It became a regular in her live sets, and Alison Krauss and Union Station have played it at least 111 times. A live version of 2:10, taken from Austin City Limits, is on Live.