  "folsom prison blues" is a song written and recorded by american country music artist johnny cash. the song combines elements from two popular folk genres, the train song and the prison song, both of which cash would continue to use for the rest of his career. it became one of cash's signature songs. it was the eleventh track on his debut album with his hot and blue guitar but was also included (same version) on all aboard the blue train. == history == cash was inspired to write this song after seeing the movie inside the walls of folsom prison (1951) while serving in west germany in the united states air force at landsberg, bavaria (itself the location of a famous prison). cash recounted how he came up with the line "but i shot a man in reno, just to watch him die": "i sat with my pen in my hand, trying to think up the worst reason a person could have for killing another person, and that's what came to mind."anecdotage.com - thousands of true funny stories about famous people. anecdotes from gates to yeats cash took the melody for the song and many of the lyrics from gordon jenkins's 1953 seven dreams concept album, specifically the song "crescent city blues".los angeles times: roots of cash's hit tunes, robert hilburn, 22 august 2006 jenkins was not credited on the original record, which was issued by sun records. in the early 1970s, after the song became popular, cash paid jenkins a settlement of approximately $75,000.streissguth 2004, p. 19â21. cash included the song, considered one of his signature songs, in his repertoire for decades. cash performed the song at folsom prison itself on january 13, 1968, and this version was eventually released on the at folsom prison album the same year. that opening song is more up-tempo than the sun studio recording. according to michael streissguth, the cheering from the audience foll
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