Introduction
“Folsom Prison Blues” is a composition by American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. Penned in 1953,[1] it underwent its initial recording and release as a single in 1955, subsequently featuring on his inaugural studio album, Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar! (1957), as the eleventh track. Drawing inspiration from Gordon Jenkins’ 1953 song, “Crescent City Blues,” Cash skillfully blends elements from two beloved folk genres—the train song and the prison song—which he continued to incorporate throughout his career. This track emerged as one of Cash’s distinctive pieces and was also part of the compilation album All Aboard the Blue Train (1962). In June 2014, Rolling Stone honored it by ranking it No. 51 on its list of the 100 greatest country songs of all time.[2]
Cash delivered a live rendition of the song to a captive audience at Folsom State Prison in 1968, featured on his live album At Folsom Prison (1968) under Columbia Records. This rendition soared to No. 1 on the country music charts and secured the 32nd position on the Billboard Hot 100 in the same year. Furthermore, this live version clinched the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male, at the 11th Annual Grammy Awards in 1969.
Video
Lyrics
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 AntoneWhen 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 blowing, I hang my head and cryI bet there’s rich folks eating 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 meWell 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