The Irish landscape that inspired Johnny Cash's "Forty Shades of Green"

Johnny Cash’s greatest hits may be re‐ membered as "Ring of Fire," "I Walk the Line," and "Folsom Prison Blues," but there’s one Johnny Cash song that stays dear in the hearts of Irish people and lovers of Ireland.

Johnny Cash began penning "Forty Shades of Green" in 1959 during a trip to Ireland and completed it in 1961 as a B-side on his album "The Rebel - Johnny Yuma."

While he lists a number of the most popular destinations in Ireland - Dublin, Shannon, Dingle, Skibbereen - local lore has it that he got the initial inspiration for the song in the Kockmealdown Mountains in County Tipperary. Cash allegedly asked his Irish contacts where he could go to get a look at the true beauty of Ireland and was told to head for the Vee Pass, which divides the Knockmealdown and Galtee mountains in southern Tipperary. He kept that stunning view in his mind and sought to capture the lush greenery and beauty of the Irish landscape in song.

The legendary singer would continue to perform the song throughout the rest of his career.

His daughter, Rosanne Cash, also has her own gorgeous rendition.

Lyrics to Johnny Cash's "Forty Shades of Green"

Iclosemyeyesandpicture theemerald ofthesea fromthefishinboatsatDingletothe shoresatDonaghdee ImisstheRiver Shannon andthefolks atSkibbereen themoorlands andmeadows andtheir FortyShadesofGreen ButmostofallImissagirlinTipperary town andmostofallImissherlipsassoftas eiderdown Ilongagaintoseeanddothethings we'vedoneandseen wherethebreezeissweetasshalimar andthere'sFortyShadesofGreen I wish that I could spend an hour at Dublin´schurning suft Ilongtowatchthefarmersdrainthe bogsandspadetheturf toseeagainthethatching ofthestraw thewomenclean I´dwalkfromCorktoLarnetoseethose FortyShadesofGreen ButmostofallImissagirlinTipperary town andmostofallImissherlipsassoftas eiderdown Ilongagaintoseeanddothethingswe ´vedoneandseen wherethebreezeissweetasshalimar andthere´sFortyShadesofGreen What's your favorite song about Ireland?

Tell us in the comment section! *Originally published in2017,updated inAug2023.