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Folsom Prison Blues

"Folsom Prison Blues" is a song by American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. Written in 1953,[1] it was first recorded and released as a single in 1955, and later included on his debut studio album Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar! (1957), as the album's eleventh track. Borrowing liberally from Gordon Jenkins' 1953 song, "Crescent City Blues", the song combines elements from two popular folk styles, the train song and the prison song, both of which Cash continued to use for the rest of his career. It was one of Cash's signature songs. Additionally, this recording was included on the compilation album All Aboard the Blue Train (1962). In June 2014, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 51 on its list of the 100 greatest country songs of all time.[2]

"Folsom Prison Blues"

December 15, 1955

July 30, 1955

2:50

Johnny Cash

Cash performed the song live to a crowd of inmates at Folsom State Prison in 1968 for his live album At Folsom Prison (1968), released through Columbia Records. This version became a No. 1 hit on the country music charts and reached No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the same year. This version also won the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male, at the 11th Annual Grammy Awards in 1969.

"Folsom Prison Blues (Live)"

April 30, 1968

January 13, 1968

2:42

Johnny Cash

used the song in Season 2, Episode 4, as part of the case.[23][24]

Cold Case

used the song in his film The Suicide Squad (2021), during its opening sequence.[25][26]

James Gunn

List of train songs

Streissguth, Michael. Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison: The Making of a Masterpiece, Da Capo Press (2004).  0-306-81338-6.

ISBN

at Genius

Lyrics of this song