I have no idea who might have done this originally, so I nominate the King’s Singers for the canonical version:
The main problem with this song is that it’s so easy to do an over the top schmaltzy version of it. If there’s one person who can put the feels into it without the schmaltz, it’s got to be Johnny Cash:
Another way to avoid schmaltz is to do it in a non-traditional way, as Black 47 did. Don’t be fooled by the mellow intro, wait for it and you’ll see.
What’s your favorite version of this classic?
These are great, but still no comparison to the definitive recording…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCbuRA_D3KU