Johnny Cash’s 1963 song about consuming love and desire is “Ring of Fire.”
The song was written by June Carter and Merle Kilgore. Carter was inspired by the phrase “love is like a burning ring of fire,” which she encountered in poetry and used to describe her feelings for Cash. Cash recorded the song with mariachi-style trumpets, giving it a distinctive sound within country music.
Released as a single in 1963, “Ring of Fire” became one of Cash’s biggest commercial successes. It reached number one on Billboard’s country singles chart and remained there for seven weeks. The recording also crossed into the pop market.
A common mix-up is assuming Cash wrote the song himself. He did not, although his performance made it his signature recording. June Carter later recorded her own version, but Cash’s version is the internationally recognized classic.