Robert Wilkins gave the same song two different lives.

In "That's No Way to Get Along", the singer is fed up with trouble and wants to leave. It is a secular blues about getting away. When he comes back, he complains:

These low-down women, mama, they treated your, ahw, poor son wrong
Mama, treated me wrong
These low-down women, mama, treated your poor son wrong
These low-down women, mama, treated your poor son wrong
And that's no way for him to get along

They treated me like my poor heart was made of a rock or stone
Mama, made of a rock or stone
Treated me like my poor heart was made of a rock or stone
Treated me like my poor heart was made of a rock or stone
And that's no way for me to get along

Years later, Wilkins reused the song as Prodigal Son. Now the journey goes the other way. The singer has left, made a mess of things, and wants to come home.

And the poor boy stood there and he hung his head and cried, hung his head and cried Poor boy stood there and he hung his head and cried Poor boy stood there and he hung his head and cried

Said “I believe I’ll ride I believe I’ll go back home, believe I’ll go back home I believe I’ll ride, I believe I’ll go back home I believe I’ll ride, and I believe I’ll go back home And that’d be the way for me to get along”

Same basic song, almost opposite story.

And then later versions take it in more directions again.

So I'm curious, which version do people here like most? And are there other songs where the same tune has ended up carrying completely different stories?

I wrote about the different lives of the song here, if anyone wants more:
https://songsfromthedead.substack.com/p/prodigal-son-no-way-to-get-along