Is a song written by humorist and poet Shel Silverstein and made popular by Johnny Cash. Cash recorded the song live in concert on February 24, 1969 at California’s San Quentin State Prison for his At San Quentin album. Cash also performed the song (with comical variations on the original performance) in December 1969 at Madison Square Garden. The live San Quentin version of the song became Cash’s biggest hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and his only top ten single there, spending three weeks at No. 2 in 1969, held out of the top spot by “Honky Tonk Women” by The Rolling Stones. The track also topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts that same year and was certified Gold on August 14, 1969, by the RIAA.
Versions:
Johnny Cash June 4, 1969
Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs December 1969
Cal Smith August 1970
Lee Conway 1980
Highwaymen 1990
Craig Giles 2009
Todd Snider June 8, 2010
Ray Stevens January 10, 2012
Gary West 2015