Behind the 1969 Country Classic That Was Surprisingly Written by a Children’s Book Author

When you think about Johnny Cash, you think about toughness. You think about a man dressed all in black. Maybe you think about a deep voice, songs that are tougher than leather. You think about a country music icon—an outlaw.

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But in between the albums recorded in prisons and all the rings of fire he sang about, Cash boasted a softer side. And that’s just what we wanted to highlight here below.

Playing In Prison

Over the course of his career, Johnny Cash played dozens of live shows in prisons, entertaining inmates. But he is especially known for two live recordings from those places—At Folsom Prison (1968) and At San Quentin (1969). On those records, you can hear prisoners from the audience hooting and hollering as their hero plays them songs about running from the law.

It’s the second album—At San Quentin (1969)—that we wanted to dive into here. The live record marked Cash’s 31st release, which is stunning in and of itself. It also included a number of his iconic songs, including “Wanted Man”, “I Walk the Line”, and “Folsom Prison Blues”.

But it was the song from the LP that was written by a children’s book author that we wanted to highlight below. A song that showed a softer side of Cash.

Shel Silverstein

Born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 25, 1930, Shel Silverstein was a man for all seasons. He published cartoons in Playboy and he wrote songs for people like Johnny Cash. But fans of Silverstein likely remember him best for his books, which include titles like Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic.

The author’s most famous book, however, is likely the 1964 work, The Giving Tree. That memorable story about a tree who gives a boy everything it can for his life, including its trunk to make a home, has since become standard reading for most kids growing up.

Indeed, it’s a beautiful, sad book that ends with the boy resting his final days, sitting on the tree’s stump. They’re best friends, even in the end. And it’s this sensibility Silverstein brings to the song he penned for Cash.

“A Boy Named Sue”

While Silverstein is known for that picture book about that generous tree, he’s also known for another character he invented. A boy… named Sue. It’s that boy who is the subject of Johnny Cash’s 1969 song, “A Boy Named Sue”, which he played at San Quentin and recorded for the live album At San Quentin.

The song, which itself is a short story, follows the life of a rough-and-tumble man whose father named him Sue to toughen him up. It culminates in a bar brawl between papa and offspring—fists are raised, but in the end, they realize they still love each other.

It’s a marvelous work and one most country fans know and adore today. And now you know the backstory of the song and its Renaissance Man author!

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