Its direct source is believed to be rokyoku (naniwabushi, storytelling with shamisen accompaniment) "Gishiden," which is based on "Chushingura," and some parts of the song are sung in rokyoku-style, even though the song is categorized as a folk song.
『忠臣蔵』を元とした浪曲『義士伝』が直接の参照元といわれ、俗曲に分類される曲でありながら、浪曲的な歌い方をする個所がある。