Ring of Fire
Johnny Cash
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Love is a burnin' thing And it makes a fiery ring Bound by wild desire I fell into a ring of fire I fell into a burnin' ring of fire I went down, down, down And the flames went higher And it burns, burns, burns The ring of fire, the ring of fire I fell into a burnin' ring of fire I went down, down, down And the flames went higher And it burns, burns, burns The ring of fire, the ring of fire The taste of love is sweet When hearts like ours meet I fell for you like a child Oh, but the fire went wild I fell into a burnin' ring of fire I went down, down, down And the flames went higher And it burns, burns, burns The ring of fire, the ring of fire I fell into a burnin' ring of fire I went down, down, down And the flames went higher And it burns, burns, burns The ring of fire, the ring of fire And it burns, burns, burns The ring of fire, the ring of fire The ring of fire, the ring of fire The ring of fire
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Written by: June Carter, Merle Kilgore
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
12 facts about this song
Song Origin"Ring of Fire" was written in 1963 by Merle Kilgore and June Carter Cash, the latter who eventually became Johnny Cash's wife.
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InspirationThe song was inspired by June Carter Cash's tumultuous relationship with Johnny Cash, who was still married when they met.
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Authorship ControversyThere's some controversy surrounding the song's authorship, with some claiming that Johnny Cash wrote the song himself.
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Chart Performance"Ring of Fire" became one of Johnny Cash's biggest hits, reaching No. 1 on the Country charts for 7 weeks consecutively.
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PopularityIt's now considered one of Cash's "signature songs", having been covered by several other artists, including Eric Burdon, Social Distortion, Frank Zappa, and Wall Of Voodoo.
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Album ReleaseThe song is included in Johnny Cash's album, "Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash", and was released by Columbia Records.
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Unique SoundThe mariachi-style horn arrangement in the song was suggested by producer Jack Clement, which was unusual for country music during that era, but it added a unique sound to the song.
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Biographical Films"Ring of Fire" has been featured in several biographical films about Cash, including the 1980 TV film "Johnny Cash: The Man, His World, His Music" and in the 2005 biographical drama film "Walk the Line".
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Musical RecognitionIn 1999, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, recognizing its qualitative or historical significance.
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Recorded VersionsCash recorded two versions of the song: the original single version, and a live version for his 1967 album 'Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison'.
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Chart SuccessWhen the song was released in the United Kingdom in 1963, it reached number 17 on the charts. After being re-released in 1993, it did even better and climbed to number 6.
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June's FeelingsWhile its not confirmed, some people believe June Carter Cash wrote the song to express her feelings of falling in love with Johnny Cash while knowing he was not capable of handling it at the time.
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Citation
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"Ring of Fire Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 9 Feb. 2025. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/34030270/Johnny+Cash/Ring+of+Fire>.
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