The stories behind how songs came to be and how they reached the public are fascinating.

They reveal all kinds of things about their performers and creators. In this case, “Ring Of Fire,” one of Johnny Cash’s most famous and beloved tunes, has an interesting back story. The behind-the-scenes tale about it speaks to his complicated personal life and tumultuous emotions. It’s worth telling because it sheds light on a still-beloved singer known as the Man In Black – the inimitable Johnny Cash.

Who Wrote ‘Ring Of Fire’?

Someone Very Close To Cash, June Carter, Was One Of Its Writers

Per Songfacts, Carter teamed up with a man named Merle Kilgore to write this song. When Carter tied the knot with Cash, Kilgore served as best man at the ceremony. She “felt being around Cash was like being in a ‘ring of fire.’ Cash was involved in drugs and had a very volatile lifestyle…Johnny claimed that June saved his life by helping him get off drugs. June died in 2003 after 35 years of marriage to Johnny.”

The Basis For The Song Was Complicated

Another Family Member Recorded A Version Of It; That’s Why Cash Delayed Releasing His

According to Songfacts via Rolling Stone, Carter knew that Cash was a complex and tempestuous person – and those qualities were ones that drew her to him powerfully. Per the outlet, “‘There is no way to be in that kind of hell, no way to extinguish a flame that burns, burns, burns,’ she wrote.”

In addition to being a reflection of Carter’s intense feelings about Cash, it was also reportedly based on a poem titled.”Love’s Ring Of Fire.” Her sis, Anita, recorded a version of the song. Per Songfacts, “Cash held back on his single to give her version a chance to chart.”

Is that generous or what? Not too many artists would willingly stand back and do that. Cash did, though. He had class, real class. No wonder his work and fame endure years after his death in 2003.

A Couple Of Controversies Surrounded ‘Ring Of Fire’

The Issues Involved Who Wrote It And How It Would Be Used

Cash’s first wife, Vivian, stated in her autobiography via Songfacts that June Carter “didn’t write that song any more than I did.” She claimed that Cash penned it. Then there was a dust-up about how the song would be used commercially. A company that made “hemorrhoid-relief products” sought to make use of “Ring Of Fire” to sell its wares.

Kilgore allegedly found the thought amusing. However, Rosanne Cash, Cash’s daughter, gave a firm thumbs-down to the wacky idea. She stated, “The song is about the transformative power of love and that’s what it has always meant to me and that’s what it will always mean to the Cash children.”