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“See That My Grave Is Kept Clean” is a blues song recorded by Blind Lemon Jefferson in 1927 that became “one of his most famous compositions”. Son House used the melody on his 1930 recording of “Mississippi County Farm Blues”.

Bob Dylan recorded the song for his 1962 debut album Bob Dylan. He recorded it again with the Band, which is included on The Basement Tapes (complete) as One Kind Favor.

It is also available on the “semi official” releases:
“Minnesota Hotel Tape,” Dec 22, 1961,
Second Gaslight Tape, late 1962
and Second McKenzies’ Tape, Apr 1963

Let us start with the original:

From BobDylanroots:
One of Blind Lemon Jefferson’s most influential songs, recorded in 1927 ⁽⁺⁾ and re-issued on LP 3 [Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music, track No. 76]. It included a “dig my grave with a silver spade / let me down with a golden chain” verse of which Dylan used a variation in some of the recordings of the song: “…with a bloody spade / please see that my digger gets well paid” (he also used this in Motherless Children). Dave Van Ronk had recorded See That My Grave… for Folkways shortly before Dylan’s first recording.

Library of Congress collected two different versions… in Texas, by Smith Casey (Two White Horses Standin’ In Line, 1939…) and Pete Harris (Blind Lemon’s Song, 1934), both clearly based on Jefferson’s recording.

Along with “Matchbox”, “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean” is Blind Lemon Jefferson’s best known song.

Blind Lemon Jefferson:

Here is Bob Dylan’s take  from his debut album:

I also found  one (of 3) live versions by Bob Dylan – Live 1962 at Gerde’s Folk City:

Bob Dylan’s version of the lyrics, he changed the order of some verses and changed a few words (and dropped a verse):

Well, there’s one kind of favor I’ll ask of you,
Well, there’s one kind of favor I’ll ask of you,
There’s just one kind of favor I’ll ask of you,
You can see that my grave is kept clean.

And there’s two white horses following me,
And there’s two white horses following me,
I got two white horses following me,
Waiting on my burying ground.

Did you ever hear that coffin sound,
Have you ever heard that coffin sound,
Did you ever hear that coffin sound,
Means another poor boy is under ground.

Did you ever hear them church bells toll,
Did you ever hear them church bells toll,
Did you ever hear them church bells toll,
Means another poor boy is dead and gone.

Well, my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold,
Well, my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold,
Well, my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold,
Now I believe what the Bible told.

There’s just one last favor I’ll ask of you,
And there’s one last favor I’ll ask of you,
There’s just one last favor I’ll ask of you,
See that my grave is kept clean.

–Hallgeir