Austin Prison
"Austin Prison" is a song written by Johnny Cash[2] and originally recorded by him on Columbia Records for his 1966 novelty album Everybody Loves a Nut.
| "Austin Prison" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Johnny Cash | |
| from the album Everybody Loves a Nut | |
| A-side | "Everybody Loves a Nut" "Austin Prison" |
| Released | May 1966 |
| Genre | country |
| Label | Columbia 4-43673 |
| Songwriter(s) | Johnny Cash |
| Producer(s) | Don Law and Frank Jones[1] |
| Audio | |
| "Austin Prison" on YouTube | |
It was first released in May 1966[3] as the flip side to the second single (Columbia 4-43673, "Everybody Loves a Nut" / "Austin Prison") from the yet-to-be-released album.[4][5][6][7]
Lyrical analysis
[The song] tells the story of a prisoner who is helped to escape by his jailer. "Now allI want between me and there are a lot of friendly people," he says, "and miles and miles and miles and miles and miles and miles and miles." Cash wrote the song, and he must have felt a very personal connection with it, given that it was recorded soon after his release from jail in Texas.
— C. Eric Banister. Johnny Cash FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Man in Black[4]
[In the song,] the outlaw narrator is imprisoned for murdering a woman he may not have killed. He's found guilty and sentenced to die, but in a rare happenstance the jailer helps him escape. There certainly is a sense of ambiguity since we don't know for sure if he did or did not kill anyone. But we know that he got away.
— John M. Alexander. The Man in Song: A Discographic Biography of Johnny Cash[8]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Everybody Loves a Nut" | Jack Clement | 2:04 |
| 2. | "Austin Prison" | Johnny Cash | 2:06 |
References
- "Johnny Cash - Everybody Loves A Nut (1966, Terre Haute Pressing, Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
- Johnny Cash (2004). Johnny Cash, the Songs. Thunder's Mouth Press. ISBN 9781560256298.
This song was followed by "Everybody Loves a Nut," also written by Clement, which has Cash proclaim that the world likes people a little off center and slightly weird.
- Peter Lewry (2001). I've Been Everywhere: A Johnny Cash Chronicle. Helter Skelter. pp. 49–50. ISBN 978-1-900924-22-1.
May
"Everybody Loves A Nut"/"Austin Prison" (Columbia 4-43673) released. This is the second single to be lifted from the forthcoming Everybody Loves A Nut album and it will spend nine weeks on the charts in July and August, reaching a high of #17. - C. Eric Banister (1 August 2014). Johnny Cash FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Man in Black. Backbeat. pp. 89–. ISBN 978-1-61713-609-2.
- Steve Turner (1 November 2005). The man called Cash: the life, love, and faith of an American legend. Thomas Nelson Inc. ISBN 978-0-8499-0815-6.
... and started recording a lighthearted album that appeared to be a deliberate diversion from all the morbidity around him. In the first ...
- Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (23 May 1970). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 1–. ISSN 0006-2510.
Standard Catalog of American Records, 1950-1975. Krause Publications. 2000. ISBN 978-0-87341-934-5.
Tim Neely (31 August 2006). Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records: 1950-1975. Krause Publications. ISBN 9780896893078.
The Johnny Cash Record Catalog. Greenwood Publishing Group. 1994. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-313-29506-5. - George Albert (1984-01-01). The Cash Box Country Singles Charts, 1958-1982. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-1685-5.
- John M. Alexander (16 April 2018). The Man in Song: A Discographic Biography of Johnny Cash. University of Arkansas Press. pp. 167–. ISBN 978-1-61075-628-0.
External links
- "Austin Prison" on the Johnny Cash official website
