Folsom Prison Blues: Best Country Song Ever Written, By Johnny Cash
My Favorite Song
Folsom Prison Blues is the best country song ever written, and performed perfectly by the late Johnny Cash. Country music generally speaks from the heart, and Folsom Prison Blues is no exception. People relate to country music because there are usually references to common events and experiences we all share.
The often heard adage, “three chords and the truth” is typically how country music is defined. Since truer words have never been spoken, Folsom Prison Blues is the embodiment of this saying. When I listen to Johnny Cash's deep, guttural voice singing this song, I can almost feel prison walls closing in around me. …show more content…
It is a chilling perception, and one that makes me want to stay as far away as possible from any kind of prison.
His reference to his mama telling him to “always be a good boy” is reminiscent of my own childhood, and probably most of ours as well. Listening to this song, I can hear my mother's voice, telling me to be a good boy. She still does. The simplistic lyrics, “I bet there's rich folks eatin'
In a fancy dining car
They're probably drinkin' coffee
And smokin' big cigars” (1), indicate a man who is not among the wealthy, as I most certainly am not.
While many people consider country music to be trite, Johnny Cash manifested his enormous singing ability in such a way as to easily touch the hearts of people nationwide. However, commonly heard in country music are words that omit the ending “g”, which typifies the way many of us southerners actually speak.
Although most people credit Cash with writing Folsom Prison Blues, the melody and some of the lyrics were taken from Gordon Jenkins' 1953 hit, Crescent City Blues. However, the most memorable and perhaps the most famous line in the song, "I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die," was from the quintessential Johnny Cash. Referring to this particular lyric, Cash said he wrote while, "Trying to think of the worst reason for killing another person." (2)
Notwithstanding the fact that numerous artists have recorded this mournful sounding song, it is Johnny Cash's rendition that is the most powerful. While I enjoy a variety of musical genres, this particular song has always remained my favorite.
1. http://www.songteksten.nl/songteksten/328917/johnny-cash/folsom-prison-blues.htm
2.
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=4903
Folsom Prison Blues is the best country song ever written, and performed perfectly by the late Johnny Cash. Country music generally speaks from the heart, and Folsom Prison Blues is no exception. People relate to country music because there are usually references to common events and experiences we all share.
The often heard adage, “three chords and the truth” is typically how country music is defined. Since truer words have never been spoken, Folsom Prison Blues is the embodiment of this saying. When I listen to Johnny Cash's deep, guttural voice singing this song, I can almost feel prison walls closing in around me. …show more content…
It is a chilling perception, and one that makes me want to stay as far away as possible from any kind of prison.
His reference to his mama telling him to “always be a good boy” is reminiscent of my own childhood, and probably most of ours as well. Listening to this song, I can hear my mother's voice, telling me to be a good boy. She still does. The simplistic lyrics, “I bet there's rich folks eatin'
In a fancy dining car
They're probably drinkin' coffee
And smokin' big cigars” (1), indicate a man who is not among the wealthy, as I most certainly am not.
While many people consider country music to be trite, Johnny Cash manifested his enormous singing ability in such a way as to easily touch the hearts of people nationwide. However, commonly heard in country music are words that omit the ending “g”, which typifies the way many of us southerners actually speak.
Although most people credit Cash with writing Folsom Prison Blues, the melody and some of the lyrics were taken from Gordon Jenkins' 1953 hit, Crescent City Blues. However, the most memorable and perhaps the most famous line in the song, "I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die," was from the quintessential Johnny Cash. Referring to this particular lyric, Cash said he wrote while, "Trying to think of the worst reason for killing another person." (2)
Notwithstanding the fact that numerous artists have recorded this mournful sounding song, it is Johnny Cash's rendition that is the most powerful. While I enjoy a variety of musical genres, this particular song has always remained my favorite.
1. http://www.songteksten.nl/songteksten/328917/johnny-cash/folsom-prison-blues.htm
2.
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=4903