# Johnny Cash "Live At Folsom Prison" Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 11, 2008, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155 "2008-11-11T03:34:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/1 "2008-11-11T03:34:03Z")
During the song _Folsom Prison Blues_, Johnny is heard to shout **“Soooeee!!”**. Okay, I know enougbh “farm-stuff” to know that’s a pig-call to come and eat, right? So was that for the benefit of the prisoners, in essence saying “I’m with you, against the “pigs”!” (Which is what police were called in those days), or was it just spontaneous? I always thought that guards were known as “screws” to inmates? Thanks Q ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/2 "2008-11-11T04:13:32Z")
That’s how I took it – a sign of solidarity. Did prisoners really call guards 'screws" or is that just a movie thing? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/3 "2008-11-11T04:33:23Z")
I’ve been called a pig, a hack, a maricon, and a bloodclot. But I’ve never been called a screw. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/4 "2008-11-11T06:32:18Z")
The guards were referred to as “screws” in Shawshank Redemption I think. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/5 "2008-11-11T08:30:13Z")
Screws was a real prison term, long time ago. Pre-WW2. I don’t know that I’d assume too much about the hog call. It might be the somewhat-coded message you suggest, but: 1. I’ve heard Cash give that call in non-prison recordings 2. Given that he sang “San Quentin” at the prison of that name, if he wanted to send a message of solidarity he wouldn’t be that coy 3. IMO as a big Cash fan, it would have been highly out of character. He had enormous sympathy for prisoners (and nearly everybody else), but that did not mean he saw the cops as bad guys. He would have sympathized with the cops, too, as working guys with a tough job. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/6 "2008-11-11T13:58:00Z")
I assumed it was a cue to his band, not a message to the prisoners. Cash was pretty open about being sympathetic to their circumstances and I don’t think he was the type who would feel the need to send a coded message. The message was right there in “Folsom Prison Blues” and “Cocaine Blues” and “Send a Picture of Mother” and the other stuff he performed. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/7 "2008-11-12T04:40:03Z")
A comment from a mod.🆒 Guess sometimes it **is** possible to stumble into a coherent thought! 🙂 Thank you, **Marley** Q ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/8 "2008-11-12T04:47:48Z")
Much appreciated, **Quasimodem** , but I think my post count shows it’s not hard to get me to comment on anything. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/9 "2008-11-12T05:13:13Z")
There’s an even more poignant moment in ‘The Wall’ when he sings the line (“if you ever touch that wall”), and then everyone cheers and he laughs, and goes something like ‘aint that the truth’. The liner notes of the recent reissues are great in showing the mixture of excitement and terror that went through the Cash camp during those prison shows, especially the attractive young ladies. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/10 "2008-11-12T05:21:21Z")
“Screws” for prison guards is still part of the prison vernacular in Australia (and the UK, I think), but “pigs” is reserved for the police. I _think_ this is still current. You won’t find a bigger Cash fan on these boards than me, and I love those prison recordings, but of course, he played the thing for what it was worth… “If one of the guards…” “BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” “Aww c’mon, you don’t really mean that…” [laughter and applause] ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/11 "2008-11-12T05:24:56Z")
**Much appreciated, Quasimodem, but I think my post count shows it’s not hard to get me to comment on anything.** I see! 🙂 Still made me feel good, though. But back to the subject (kinda): Although I thought Joaquin Phoenix’s portayal of Cash was right on the mark, I feel like it was more of an intensive “Rich Little” study of The Man In Black, and although he did an **excellent** job, I was left with: “Okay, thanks for thinking that much of one of my heroes, but if I had my druthers, I’d have druther not seen this film. Just as I’d druther not see one of the same about John Wayne.” I suppose no matter how deep you dig, you’ll never reach the “essence” of a person - their “soul” I guess you’d say, because that’s too precious a thing to turn loose of. “Best to let people think of me as they wish, not portray me as what I showed on the outside, which, after all was just ‘veneer’.”, is what I _imagine_ John R . Cash would say. But then again, am\*\* I\*\* not projecting what I want him to be as well? My point? The man’s life was what it was, and perhaps it would have been better if it had not been plastered on some wall, somewhere. Make any kinda sense? (I tend to ramble on and on and then have to examine what I wrote to see if my thoughts were expressed correctly. Used to didn’t have to do that. :D) Q ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/12 "2008-11-12T05:33:14Z")
**Doggie!** 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/13 "2008-11-12T06:20:42Z")
**QUASI!!!** Wie geht’s, old friend? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/14 "2008-11-12T06:25:35Z")
Well, **these** days, your old friend feels kinda… _old_, but happy to see your name again! 😃 I remember you are as big a Johnnny Cash fan as I am! Hello to all my Ozzies, too! 😃 Q ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/15 "2008-11-12T06:28:16Z")
Good to see you around, mate. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/16 "2008-11-12T06:35:04Z")
You guys are missing the big question from the **At Folsom Prison** album. If you shot a man in Reno (Nevada) why are you in a California prision? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/17 "2008-11-12T06:36:33Z")
Thank you! And you as well! Alive and Kickin’ , that’s us, right? Look for me at [www.wheretobud.blogspot.com](http://www.wheretobud.blogspot.com) for an update! Wonderful to see you and all my Down Under friends are still here! Q ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/18 "2008-11-12T06:41:06Z")
Won’t hijack this thread further for the other poor sods. 🙂 I’ll be in touch, my friend. This week has been one of rediscovery of old SDMB friendships (well, two at least!). It’s uncanny. You’ll hear from me off the board soonest. Now returning y’all to your scheduled programming. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tenebras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@Tenebras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenebras)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/19 "2008-11-12T09:02:50Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > You guys are missing the big question from the **At Folsom Prison** album. > If you shot a man in Reno (Nevada) why are you in a California prision? > 😕 Song never says that’s what got him put away. He probably got picked up for jaywalking in Fresno. Now that infamous tax cheat Capone, on the other hand, he was just an all around bad egg… ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155/20 "2008-11-12T14:39:38Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > You guys are missing the big question from the **At Folsom Prison** album. > If you shot a man in Reno (Nevada) why are you in a California prision? > 😕 I always thought the Reno killing was what started him on a life of crime but that he wasn’t necessarily caught for it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/johnny-cash-live-at-folsom-prison-question/472155.md?page=2)