NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Dark as a Dungeon

Dark as the Dungeon is a song written by singer-songwriter Merle Travis. It is a lament about the danger and drudgery of being a coal miner in an Appalachian shaft mine. It has beecome a rallying song among miners seeking improved working conditions. Merle Travis (November 29, 1917 - October 20, 1983) is an American country and western singer, songwriter, and musician. ... Shaft mining is a type of underground mining done by use of a mine shaft. ...

The song achieved much of its fame when it was performed by Johnny Cash in his Folsom Prison concert. Fittingly, he took his voice to its deepest basso profundo while singing the song. During this live performance, one of the prisoners in the background was cutting up, and Cash started to chuckle. He gently admonished the man, "No laughing during the song, please!" The man yelled something about "Hell!" and Cash answered, "I know, 'Hell'!" When he finished the song, Cash made a comment that was largely repeated, somewhat out of context, by Joaquin Phoenix in the 2005 film Walk the Line: "I just want to tell you that this show is being recorded for an album released on Columbia Records, and you can't say "hell" or "shit" or anything like that." John R. (Johnny) Cash (February 26, 1932 â€“ September 12, 2003) was an influential American country and rock music singer and songwriter. ... East gate, Folsom State Prison, California Folsom State Prison (FSP), also known as Folsom State Prison, Represa is one of 33 prison facilities operated by the California Department of Corrections (CDC). ... Phoenix portraying Johnny Cash in Walk the Line. ... Walk the Line is an acclaimed Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning film chronicling the life of Johnny Cash, American country singer, focusing on his younger life, his romance with June Carter and his ascent to the country music scene, with material taken from his autobiographies. ...

Other notable recordings included Dolly Parton's 1981 cover. Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American country singer, songwriter, composer, author and actress. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Category: Johnny Cash songs John R. (Johnny) Cash (February 26, 1932 â€“ September 12, 2003) was an influential American country and rock music singer and songwriter. ... The Johnny Cash discography sets out the albums from 1957 to 2003 of one of Country musics legendary performers. ... An album is a collection of related audio tracks distributed to the public. ... Johnny Cash With His Hot and Blue Guitar was the first album by the influential country singer Johnny Cash, released in 1957 (see 1957 in music). ... Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous is the second album by singer Johnny Cash. ... The Fabulous Johnny Cash is the third album by country singer Johnny Cash. ... Hymns by Johnny Cash is the fourth album by Johnny Cash. ... Songs of Our Soil is an album by the singer Johnny Cash. ... Ride This Train is the eighth album by country singer Johnny Cash. ... Now, There Was a Song is an album by Johnny Cash, featuring songs by Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, and George Jones. ... Now Heres Johnny Cash is an album by country singer Johnny Cash. ... Hymns from the Heart is an album by singer Johnny Cash, released in 1962 (see 1962 in music). ... The Sound of Johnny Cash is an album by singer Johnny Cash, released in 1962 (see 1962 in music). ... All Aboard the Blue Train is an album by singer Johnny Cash. ... Blood, Sweat, and Tears is an album by singer Johnny Cash, released in 1963 (see 1963 in music). ... Everybody Loves a Nut is an album by American country singer Johnny Cash, released by Columbia Records in the United States in 1966 (see 1966 in music). ... Carryin On with Johnny Cash and June Carter is an album released by country musicians Johnny Cash and June Carter in 1967 (see 1967 in music), on Columbia Records. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... A Thing Called Love is an album by country singer Johnny Cash, released on Columbia Records in 1972 (see 1972 in music). ... Any Old Wind That Blows is an album by American country singer Johnny Cash, released on Columbia Records in 1973 (see 1973 in music). ... In 1969, Johnny Cash was the best-selling recording artist in the United States. ... Look at Them Beans is an album by singer Johnny Cash, released in 1975 (see 1975 in music). ... A Believer Sings the Truth is a gospel double album by American country singer Johnny Cash. ... Classic Christmas is a Christmas album by American country singer Johnny Cash, released on Columbia Records in 1980 (see 1980 in music). ... Believe in Him is a gospel album by American country singer Johnny Cash, released on Word Records in 1986 (see 1986 in music). ... Boom Chicka Boom is an album by American country music icon Johnny Cash, released in 1990 (see 1990 in music) on Mercury Records. ... American Recordings is a Grammy Award-winning album by the country singer Johnny Cash. ... Unchained is the second album in Johnny Cashs American Recording series. ... American VI is the second album of songs from the final recording sessions Johnny Cash made before he died. ... A live album is a musical recording containing recorded concert performances. ... At Folsom Prison is a live album by Johnny Cash, recorded on January 13, 1968 at Folsom State Prison. ... At San Quentin is a recording of a live concert given by Johnny Cash to the inmates of San Quentin State Prison. ... The Johnny Cash Show is a live album by country singer Johnny Cash, recorded at the Grand Ole Opry and released on Columbia Records in 1970 (see 1970 in music). ... A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music from a particular feature film. ... A compilation album is a musical album featuring songs or tunes with some common characteristics. ... Unearthed is a collection of acclaimed recordings by the legendary country singer Johnny Cash (1932-2003), released by Lost Highway Records on November 25, 2003. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 25 Minutes to Go is a song performed by Johnny Cash on his famous At Folsom Prison concert album. ... A Boy Named Sue is a country song made famous by Johnny Cash. ... Cocaine Blues is a song written by TJ Arnall, though it is a rework of a traditional song title Little Sadie. Johnny Cash famously peformed the song at his Folsom Prison concert, an event portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix in Walk The Line. ... Cry Cry Cry is a song written and recorded by Johnny Cash. ... Folsom Prison Blues is an American country music song written by Johnny Cash in the early 1950s and originally recorded with his trio in 1956 for the Sun Records label. ... Get Rhythm is a song written and recorded by Johnny Cash. ... Goodnight Irene, or Irene, is a 20th century American folk standard. ... Green Green Grass of Home is a country song which Tom Jones made popular in 1966 and since then has it been a popular cover song which Elvis Presley recorded 1975 and was one of his favorite songs. ... Greystone Chapel is an American country music song written by Glen Sherley in the late 1960s and was included on the 1968 Johnny Cash Album At Folsom Prison, released by the Sun Records label. ... One of Johnny Cashs earliest songs. ... Recorded after I Walk the Line, July 1, 1957 in Memphis, Tenessee by Johnny Cash. ... Hurt is a promotional single from Nine Inch Nails remix album Further Down the Spiral (Halo Ten). ... I Walk the Line is a song written by Johnny Cash and recorded in 1956. ... In My Life is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. ... It Aint Me Babe was an underground comix anthology, edited by Trina Robbins in 1970 and published by Last Gasp. ... Jackson is a song written by Jerry Lieber and Billy Edd Wheeler about a married couple who go off to a town named Jackson. ... One Piece At A Time is a humorous song by Johnny Cash. ... The One on the Right is on the Left is a song by American singer Johnny Cash. ... Remember the Alamo is a song written by Texan folk singer and songwriter Jane Bowers. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Whatd I Say is a 12-bar tune by Ray Charles. ... June Carter Cash (June 23, 1929 â€“ May 15, 2003) was a singer, songwriter, actress, a member of the first family of country music, the Carter Family, and the second wife of legendary singer Johnny Cash. ... John Carter Cash was the son of Johnny and June Carter Cash and he produced the 2005 movie Walk the Line with Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon as Johny and June. ... Rosanne Cash from the back cover of Rhythm & Romance (1985). ... Inside front cover photo from the insert to I Fell in Love. ... Vivian Dorraine Liberto Cash Distin (April 23, 1934 â€“ May 24, 2005) was Johnny Cashs first wife and the mother of his four daughters: Rosanne Cash, Kathleen Cash, Cindy Cash, and Tara Cash. ... Tommy Cash pictured with brother, Johnny Cash Tommy Cash is a brother of Johnny Cash. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Label of the fourth Sun Records Sun Records has been the name for four 20th century record labels. ... Columbia Records is the oldest continually used brand name in recorded sound, dating back to 1888. ... Mercury Records was a record label founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1945 by Irving Green, Berle Adams and Arthur Talmadge. ... American Recordings is a Los Angeles-based record label headed by record producer Rick Rubin. ... Legacy Recordings is the reissue division of Sony BMG Music Entertainment which was founded in 1990 by CBS Records (renamed Sony Music in 1991) to handle reissues of recordings from the vast catalogues of Columbia Records, Epic Records and associated labels. ... Lost Highway Records was a subsidiary record label of Universal Music until it was merged into Island Def Jam Records. ... Sam Phillips, born Samuel Cornelius Phillips (January 5, 1923 â€“ July 30, 2003), was a record producer who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s. ... Jack Henderson Clement (born April 5, 1931 in Memphis, Tennessee) is an American singer, songwriter, and a record and film producer. ... Frederick Jay Rubin (born 1963), is an American record producer best known for his work within the rap and heavy metal musical genres, as well as the America albums with the legendary Johnny Cash. ... Carl Perkins Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 â€“ January 19, 1998) was an American pioneer of rockabilly music, a mix of rhythm and blues and country music that evolved at Sun Records in Memphis in the early 1950s. ... Jerry Lee Lewis (born September 29, 1935) is an American rock and roll and country music singer, songwriter, and pianist. ... The Highwaymen were a country supergroup comprising four musicians well-known for, among other things, their involvement and pioneering influence on the outlaw country subgenre: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. ... Waylon Jennings. ... Kris Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is an influential country music songwriter, singer and actor. ... Willie Nelson William Hugh Willie Nelson (born April 30, 1933) is an American entertainer and songwriter, and originally from Abbott, Texas. ... East gate, Folsom State Prison, California Folsom State Prison (FSP), also known as Folsom State Prison, Represa is one of 33 prison facilities operated by the California Department of Corrections (CDC). ... San Quentin State Prison San Quentin State Prison is located on 432 acres (1. ... Willie Nelson Outlaw country was a significant trend in country music during the late 1960s and the 1970s. ... The Tennessee Three, guitarist Bob Wootton and drummer W.S. Holland performed with the legendary country and 50s rock & roll singer Johnny Cash for nearly 40-years. ...