There’s something about “Folsom Prison Blues” that just gets under your skin. From the moment that unmistakable train-like guitar riff kicks in, you know you’re about to be pulled into Johnny Cash’s world—a world of outlaws, regret, and that signature “boom-chicka-boom” rhythm that would become his musical calling card.
Written in 1953 and recorded in 1955, this song wasn’t just another country tune—it was the spark that lit Johnny Cash’s fire. Inspired by a blend of real-life prison stories and the old Gordon Jenkins song “Crescent City Blues,” Cash took the dark, lonesome spirit of confinement and gave it a voice that still echoes today. The lyrics tell the tale of a man serving time, tormented by the sound of a train rolling past—a painful reminder of the free life he threw away when he “shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.” That one chilling line? Pure storytelling gold.
But “Folsom Prison Blues” didn’t just stay locked in a recording studio. It became a legend of its own when Cash performed it live at Folsom Prison in 1968. That performance is the stuff of music history—raw, electrifying, and rebellious in a way that only Cash could pull off. With an audience of real inmates cheering him on, the song transcended music—it became a symbol of redemption, rebellion, and the power of music to speak to those society forgets.
Decades later, that opening riff still hits like a freight train. Whether you’re a country fan or not, there’s no denying that “Folsom Prison Blues” is one of the greatest outlaw anthems ever written. It’s a song that makes you feel something—restless, regretful, maybe even a little dangerous. And that’s the magic of Johnny Cash
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Lyrics
[Verse]
I hear the train a coming
It’s rolling round the bend
I ain’t seen the sunshine
Since I don’t know when
Well, I’m stuck in Folsom Prison
And time keeps dragging on
But I see a train a moving
On down to San Antone
Bet there’s rich folks eating
In some fancy dining car
Probably drinking coffee
And smoking big cigars
Well, I know I had it coming
I know I can’t be free
But them people keep on moving
And that’s what tortures me
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
Every time I hear that whistle
I hang my head and I cry
If they freed me from this prison
If that railroad train was mine
Bet I’d move it on a
Little bit farther down the line
Far from Folsom Prison
That’s where I long to stay
And I’d let that lonesome whistle
Blow my blues away…