Album: Johnny Cash With His Hot and Blue Guitar, released 1957 Prison doesnt often find its way into music. Maybe the fine line of punishment, justice and retribution conjures up a self-imposed taboo that stops musicians from talking about it- unless you hit the nail on the head you run the risk of getting lost in clichés and empty phrases. But after seeing the film Inside The Walls Of Folsom Prison, Johnny Cash was inspired to compose the track as a symbol of his compassion for prison inmates. Folsom Prison Blues would go on to be the Man in Blacks signature opening number. He even performed it at the aforementioned institution as part of two shows in 1968, which was made into a highly acclaimed live album At Folsom Prison. His banter with the inmates shows a certain sense of understanding, which also permeates the title track itself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxAa83gP9vc Given that Cash was a constant advocate of prison reform and played at institutions from the late 1950s, his attitude on Folsom Prison Blues is hardly surprising. Are there any other cool place-name references we missed in your favourite songs? Let us know in the comments!
English graduate from the South East, writing my way through my twenties. Also a YouTube partner, playing games and filming vlogs under "ZeppelinG1993." Middle name Zeppelin (after the band, not the blimp), so destined to be a music lover.