Folsom Prison Blues
Johnny Cash * Track #11 On Johnny Cash With His Hot and Blue Guitar
Download "Folsom Prison Blues"
Album Johnny Cash With His Hot and Blue Guitar
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- #11Folsom Prison Blues
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Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash
Release Date
Performed by
Johnny CashProduced by
Don Law & Frank JonesWrited by
Johnny CashAbout
Perhaps more than any other song, “Folsom Prison Blues” cemented Johnny Cash’s status as the outlaw country archetype. Although he never actually did time in the California prison for which it is named, songs like this and his live shows for inmates made him an icon of reckless bad-assery. The song’...
Folsom Prison Blues Lyrics
[Verse 1]
I hear the train a-comin', it's rolling 'round the bend
And I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when
I'm stuck in Folsom prison, and time keeps draggin' on
But that train keeps a-rollin' on down to San Antone
[Verse 2]
When I was just a baby, my mama told me, "Son
Always be a good boy, don't ever play with guns"
But I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die
When I hear that whistle blowin', I hang my head and cry
[Verse 3]
I bet there's rich folks eatin' in a fancy dining car
They're probably drinkin' coffee and smoking big cigars
Well, I know I had it coming, I know I can't be free
But those people keep a-movin', and that's what tortures me
[Verse 4]
Well, if they freed me from this prison, if that railroad train was mine
I bet I'd move it on a little farther down the line
Far from Folsom prison, that's where I want to stay
And I'd let that lonesome whistle blow my blues away
Folsom Prison Blues Q&A
Who wrote Folsom Prison Blues's ?
Folsom Prison Blues was written by Johnny Cash.
Who produced Folsom Prison Blues's ?
Folsom Prison Blues was produced by Don Law & Frank Jones.
When did Johnny Cash release Folsom Prison Blues?
Johnny Cash released Folsom Prison Blues on Thu Dec 15 1955.
Was Johnny Cash ever imprisoned?
No. However, he spent time in jail and had trouble with the Law in more than one occasion:
In June 1965, his truck caught fire due to an overheated wheel bearing, triggering a forest fire in Los Padres National Forest in California. During the Court, when the judge asked Johnny why he did it, he s...
What did Johnny Cash say about "Folsom Prison Blues"?
Cash said about the famous “But I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die” lines –
trying to think up the worst reason a person could have for killing another person… It did come to mind quite easily, though.
Did he have an addiction?
Yes, Cash was highly prone to addiction. Starting when his career was taking off in the late 1950’s, he was heavily abusing alcohol, amphetamines and barbiturates, which he started using to help him stay awake during tours. While he got clean after an epiphany in the late 60’s, he got hooked on pr...