Ring of Fire

I JUST Missed the 53rd Anniversary

Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash

"Who doesn't love Johnny Cash? His authentic passion and consistent willingness to share his raw gut-wrenching feelings always endears and pleases my heart's ears."

The popularity of this song kind of blows my mind. I guess it shouldn't, since I'm a fan, and it's obviously very catchy. But for some reason I always think of people enjoying it ironically. Like Never Gonna Give You Up.

It's a lot of fun, but I can't take it seriously. I guess that's what blows my mind, more than the popularity. It's the treatment of the material.

I was reading up on it tonight, and all of these people are like, "It's about the deep love that June Carter felt when she met Johnny. It's about the transformative power of love." It seems unreal that people connect to this song on such a deep level, when I'm just like...dancing around stupidly and making my voice as low as possible to sing along.

Part of that is just because I don't listen to a lot of old music. Sometimes I feel the same way when I listen to Frank Sinatra. There's an old-timey quality to the vocals.

The other part is...I don't know. This song just has a kind of humor to it, in the bouncy melody and unexpected mariachi-style horns.

Also, I don't personally connect to the lyrics that much. That opening line, Love is a burning thing, and it makes a fiery ring. It's so conversational and straightforward, and I still don't get it. Maybe it's because I haven't felt that kind of love.

But, you know, I still like the song a lot. Not everything has to be that deep. Obviously it means a lot to some people, but I just enjoy the sound.

Maybe I was reading too far into it. Maybe no one takes it too seriously. Maybe it was so successful and continues to stick around just because listening to it makes people happy.

Overview:

Genre:
Country Rock

Favorite Lyrics:
The taste of love is sweet
when hearts like ours meet.

Verdict:
A real crowd-pleaser in karaoke.