RING OF FIRE (SONG)

"'Ring of Fire'" is a country music song popularized by Johnny Cash and co-written by June Carter and Merle Kilgore. The single appears on Cash's 1963 compilation album, ''. The song was recorded on March 25, 1963 and became the biggest hit of his career, staying at number one on the charts for seven weeks ^[1].

Contents

Conception

Legacy

Cover versions

In popular culture

In sports

References

External links

Conception

Although "Ring of Fire" sounds somewhat ominous, the term refers to falling in love - which is what June Carter was experiencing with Johnny Cash at the time. Some sources claim that June had seen the phrase, "Love is like a burning ring of fire," underlined in one of her uncle A. P. Carter's Elizabethan books of poetry^5[2]. She worked with Kilgore on writing a song inspired by this phrase as she had seen her uncle do in the past. In the 2006 film, ''Walk the Line'' June is depicted as writing the song while agonizing over her feelings for Cash despite his drug addiction and alcoholism as she was driving home one evening. Her original lyrics include the verse: "There is no way to be in that kind of hell, no way to extinguish a flame that burns, burns, burns"^[3]
The song was originally recorded by June's sister, Anita Carter, on her album ''Ring Of Fire'' (1962) as "(Love's) Ring of Fire"^[4]. After hearing Anita's version, Cash claims he had a dream where he heard the song accompanied by "Mexican horns"^[5]. Cash allowed some time for Anita's song to catch on, stating:
When the song failed to become a hit for Anita, Cash recorded it his own way, adding the mariachi-style horns. This sound was later used in the song, "It Ain't Me Babe", which was recorded around the same time. Mother Maybelle and the Carter sisters are featured in the Cash recording singing harmony.
Four years after the song was released, Carter and Cash were married which Cash states helped to stop his alcohol and drug addictions. Cash's daughter, Rosanne has stated, "The song is about the transformative power of love and that's what it has always meant to me and that's what it will always mean to the Cash children."^[6]

Legacy

Numerous cover versions of "Ring of Fire" have been produced, the most commercially successful version being by Social Distortion, who released their rockabilly version on the album, ''Social Distortion'' (1990). The single reached #25 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks, 27 years after the single was first recorded by Cash.
The song has also been covered by singer and satirist, Frank Zappa. Zappa's version is a deconstructed, reggae rendition which appears on their album, ''The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life'' (1991). The arrangement was concocted in anticipation of a guest appearance by Cash in Europe which was cancelled at the last minute.

Cover versions

^[7][8].

'Year'	'Artist'	'Album'	'Notes'
1964	Roy Drusky	''Pick of the Country''
1964	Kitty Wells	''Especially for You''
1965	Jerry Lee Lewis	''Country Songs for City Folks''
1966	Dave Dudley	''Free and Easy''
1967	Tom Jones	''Green, Green Grass of Home''
1968	Eric Burdon	''Love Is''
1969	Lynn Anderson	''Big Girls Don't Cry''
1969	Tommy Cash	''Your Lovin' Takes the Leavin' Out of Me''
1969	Country Joe McDonald	''Tonight I'm Singing Just for You''
1970	The Willis Brothers	''Best of the Willis Brothers''
1970	Hank Williams, Jr.	''Great Hits of Johnny Cash''
1970	Ray Charles	''Complete Country & Western Recordings (1959-1986)''
1971	The Buckaroos	''Play the Hits''
1972	Earl Scruggs w/Linda Ronstadt	''I Saw the Light with Some Help from My Friends''
1977	Olivia Newton-John	''Making a Good Thing Better''
1980	Blondie	''Roadie''
1980	Carlene Carter	''Musical Shapes''
1980	Wall of Voodoo	''Granma's House''
1985	Sleepy LaBeef	''Nothin' but the Truth''
1986	Dwight Yoakam	''Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.''
1990	The Bobs	''Sing the Songs of...''
1990	Social Distortion	''Social Distortion''
1991	Frank Zappa	''The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life''
1992	The McPeak Brothers	''Classic Bluegrass''
1992	Paul Lloyd Warner	''Mountains''
1993	Doyle-Whiting Band	''Buried Bones''
1994	Mark Collie	''Unleashed''
1994	Ed Kuepper	''Character Assassination''
1994	Dick Dale	''Unknown Territory''
1994	Dan Lund	''Wood & Steel''
1995	Martin Belmont	''Big Guitar''
1995	Stop	''Never''
1996	Bob Dylan	''Feeling Minnesota (soundtrack)''
1996	Bhundu Boys & Hank Wangford	''Friends on the Road''
1996	The Vinaigrettes	''Gross Negligee''
1997	Mark A. Humphrey	''Burning Love''
1998	David Allan Coe	''Johnny Cash is a Friend of Mine''
1998	Grace Jones	''Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions''
1998	Willie Evans	''Willie Evans Trio''
1998	Earls of Suave	''Basement Bar at the Heartbreak Hotel''
1998	Jim Sundquest	''Big Requests''
1999	June Carter Cash	''Press On''
1999	The Caravans	''Saturday Nite's Alright''
1999	The Earls of Suave
2000	Henry Boy	''Americana: Tribute to Johnny Cash''
2000	The Mighty Echoes	''A Capella Doo Wop''
2000	Slim Whitman	''Get Rhythm: A Tribute to the Man in Black''
2000	H-Blockx feat. Dr. Ring Ding	''Get in the Ring''
2001	The Du-Tels	''No Knowledge of Music Required''
2001	Three Bean Salad	''Shut Up and Eat Your Beans''
2002	Billy Burnette	''Dressed in Black: A Tribute to Johnny Cash''
2002	Latz	''Twinnings''
2002	The String Cheese Incident	''On the Road''
2003	This Kid Named Miles	''Rewind! 3''
2003	James Carr	''A Man Needs a Woman (Bonus Tracks)''
2003	Michel Montecrossa	''Country Heroes''
2005	The Regulars	''Vegas''
2005	Joaquin Phoenix	''Walk the Line (soundtrack)''
2006	Dario G
2006	Leningrad Cowboys	''Zombie's Paradise''
2007	Lucy Kaplansky	''Over the Hills''
2007	Dilana

In addition to the above versions, country music parodist Cledus T. Judd recorded a Christmas-themed parody, called "Tree's on Fire", on his 2002 album ''Cledus Navidad''.

In popular culture

The song was among a number of Cash songs covered by Joaquin Phoenix for the 2005 film, ''Walk the Line''. A duet version of the song, recorded by Jeff Bridges and Kim Carnes, can be heard in the opening scene in the 2000 film ''The Contender'', although the track is notably absent on the movie soundtrack and has, in fact, never been released. The song briefly plays in one scene of the 2006 horror film, ''Silent Hill''. It is also featured on the CBS reality television show, '', performed by Dilana Robichaux. Dilana is scheduled to release the Gilby Clarke produced cover on February 20, 2007 on iTunes, Napster and other digital download websites. This song was included in the soundtrack to ''Tony Hawk's Underground 2'' and British dance group Dario G released a mix of the famous tune in time for the FIFA World Cup 2006. A recent cover version is by Tim Speed, Apollo 440 and Ian McCulloch and it was Liverpool FC's official 2006's FA Cup song. The song was also included in the Singstar game Singstar Legends.

In sports

"Ring of Fire" was first adopted by Liverpool Football Club fans in the year 2002, with the song growing in popularity as the team and its supporters travelled across Europe en route to the 2005 UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul.^[9] The song was played by the Liverpool football team prior to their victory on May 25th^[10].
The song was later played by the England cricket team at lunch in the dressing room on the final day of the 3rd Test match against India on 22 March 2006. The English cricketers were inspired and came out and took seven wickets for 25 runs in the space of 89 balls to complete their first victory on Indian soil for 21 years.^[11]
Andrew Flintoff and Matthew Hoggard of the England cricket team played it before they came out to play on the last day of the 2005 Ashes series between them and Australia to spur them on .
The NHL's Calgary Flames played the song on the tannoy of the Pengrowth Saddledome during their 2004 Stanley Cup run and also sang it in the dressing room after each win. It was also constantly played on the Red Mile during the run, and has become the team's victory song. The Saskatoon Blades of the WHL began to use this song as their victory song during the 2006 playoffs. It continues to be played after each victory by the team.
Cardiff City FC have started using it as their celebratory winning song. They have revamped the song to get the crowd excited when they score a goal at home. It is also played before Heart of Midlothian F.C. matches as the players take to the field to create more atmosphere. It was adopted by Hereford United in the 2005/06 season and is chanted at almost every game. After the team won the playoffs, players for Hereford United were seen chanting the song in celebration at Walker's Stadium in Leicester. The song is a crowd favorite at Adelaide United games, Walsall FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers games. It is sung for Adelaide United young Talent Nathan Burns. Burns started at United in the 2006/07 A-League season. Southend United away fans also have adopted the song, as a means of encouraging and lifting the players away from home.
The song has also been used in an ESPN promotional ad for NASCAR.

References

1. "Song Review". AllMusic.com. Retrieved on March 23, 2007.
2. "Obituary: Anita Carter". The (London) Independent. August 4, 1999. Retrieved on March 23, 2007.
3. "Ring of Fire". RollingStone.com. December 9, 2004. Retrieved on March 23, 2007.
4. "Ring of Fire CD". CDUniverse.com. Retrieved on March 23, 2007.
5. "(Love's) Ring of Fire". BobDylanRoots.com. Retrieved on March 23, 2007.
6. "Cash family blocks haemorrhoid ad". BBC.com. February 18, 2004. Retrieved on March 23, 2007.
7. "Ring of Fire". AllMusic.com. Retrieved on March 23, 2007.
8. "Song: Ring of Fire - Anita Carter". SecondhandSongs.com. July 31, 2003. Retrieved on March 23, 2007.
9. "LFC Aiming for no.1 with cup final song". LiverpoolFC.tv. May 5, 2006.
10. "Revealed: The tunes that inspired Euro glory". Hothersall, Steve. LiverpoolFC.tv. Retrieved on March 23, 2006.
11. "England summon Ring of Fire to ignite triumph" by Derek Pringle, Daily Telegraph, 23 March 2006, retrieved 23 March 2006

External links

★ "Video"