Features Song Lyrics for Tennessee Ernie Ford's Dark as a Dungeon album. Includes Album Cover, Release Year, and User Reviews. Ernest Jennings Ford (February 13, 1919 – October 17, 1991) known professionally as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American country and gospel singer and radio and television host. Today, he is best remembered for his hit recording of 'Sixteen Tons'.Born in Bristol, Tennessee, to Clarence Thomas Ford and Maud Long, Ford began his radio career.

'Dark as a Dungeon' is a song written by singer-songwriter Merle Travis. It is a lament about the danger and drudgery of being a coal miner in a shaft mine. It has become a rallying song among miners seeking improved working conditions.

The song achieved much of its fame when it was performed by Johnny Cash in his Folsom Prison concert (At Folsom Prison). During this live performance, one of the prisoners in the background was laughing, and Cash started to chuckle. He gently admonished the man, 'No laughing during the song, please!' The man yelled something about 'Hell!' and Cash answered, 'I know, 'hell'!' When he finished the song, Cash made a comment that was largely repeated, somewhat out of context, by Joaquin Phoenix in the 2005 film Walk the Line: 'I just wanted to tell you that this show is being recorded for an album released on Columbia Records, so you can't say 'hell' or 'shit' or anything like that.'^[1]

Recorded versions[edit]

• Merle Travis on Folk Songs of the Hills, 1946
• Cisco Houston, Early 1950s
• Tennessee Ernie Ford, (1955)
• Harry Belafonte on 'The Many Moods of Belafonte' (1962)
• Grandpa Jones, 1963
• Wolfe Tones on 'Foggy Dew' -as 'Down in the Mines' (1965)
• The Twiliters on 'In Concert' (1966)
• Johnny Cash on 'At Folsom Prison' (1968)
• Merle Travis with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1972)
• Peter Grudzien on The Garden Of Love
• Dolly Parton on 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs (1980)
• The Weavers on Together Again (1980)
• The Spinners on In our Liverpool Home as 'Lure of the Mines' (1983)
• Patrick Sky, 1985
• Wall of Voodoo on Seven Days in Sammystown (1985)
• The Seldom Scene with Charlie Waller on 15th Anniversary Celebration (1988)
• Frank Tovey on Tyranny and the Hired Hand (1989)
• Souled American on Sonny (1992)
• The Chieftains with Vince Gill on Down the Old Plank Road: The Nashville Sessions (2002)
• Marley's Ghost on Ghost Country (1996)
• Queens of the Stone Age, 2005 ^[2]
• Mark Linkous (recording as Sparklehorse) MOJO Magazine Tribute CD to Johnny Cash (2006)
• Charlie Louvin on Sings Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs (2008)
• Kathy Mattea on Coal (2008)
• Willie Nelson on Country Music (2010)
• Amy Grant on the Lee C. Camp & Friends specialty album, Tokens 9: 'Back to Green' (2010) ^[3]
• Maddox Brothers and Rose 1950
• John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats on The Front Porch Sessions (The Front Porch Festival, 2012)
• Slobberbone recorded a version of Dark as a dungeon in 1998 on the Your excuse EP
• The Journeymen on Coming Attraction - Live (1962)
• Brock Zeman on 'songs from the mud' (2004)
• The Rebel on Krot (2014)
• Fret! on the 'Killing Nico EP' (2016)
• John Cowan (2000) Self-titled CD for Sugar Hill Records
• John Mellencamp (2017)^[4]
• Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio (2017) on Singin'
• Bob Dylan on the archival release The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings

Published versions[edit]

• Rise Up Singing page 145

References[edit]

1. ^Gross, Jason (November 18, 2008). 'Prisoners Are the Best Audience: The Challenge of 'At Folsom Prison''. PopMatters. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
2. ^'Queens of the Stone Age - Dark as a Dungeon (Johnny Cash cover / Portland, 2005)'. youtube.com. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
3. ^'Dark As a Dungeon - Amy Grant: Lee C. Camp and Friends: MP3 Downloads'. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011-01-01.
4. ^Reed, Ryan (June 28, 2017). 'Hear John Mellencamp's Reverent 'Dark as a Dungeon' for Coal Mining Doc'. Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 29, 2017.

Comment by Joseph Bonzo

@smelly-guy No, it's fine, you didn't know so I don't blame you.

Comment by Smelly Guy

@joseph-bonzo shit... now I feel bad as fuck.

Comment by Abdallah loi

Wow

Comment by Joseph Bonzo

@mlbarger05-mike No problem, just wish I could enjoy it in game again. stopped playing when they destroyed demo builds instead of lowering explosive damage to players. Had a Godly Two-Shot *Explosive* (Ultracite) Double barrel shotgun. a queen killer

Comment by sleepy_burgurlee

I cant not love this song, thank you creeper man.

Comment by Joseph Bonzo

@marcus-crawley-2 Thx. Means a lot to see someone say that <3

Comment by Ya Boi Nahmy

@tanner-schramm-119733654: People will remember their friends how they want. Leave him be.

Comment by Luis Perez

I always found this song depressing but love it so much so thank you

Comment by Joseph Bonzo

@tanner-sliva We hold the line here FTW.

Comment by Joseph Bonzo

@tanner-schramm-119733654 some people spread ashes, others write a speech at the funeral, since I could do niether due to her being in Ohio and me being in Arizona. But again, sorry for the Pic.

Comment by Tanner

i might not like fallout 76 but i sure like its songs!

Comment by Taz1190

Its not a picture that should be having the memory of your friend. Its your own memory that is what honors your friends. Not some silly picture that you pick off the internet

Comment by Joseph Bonzo

you're welcome for the song. But I am sorry for the Pic I chose for it, it was a personal tribute to a friend who passed away.

Comment by B l u

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Comment by Brooke McElyea

'just like my freind lego

Comment by Drake Thies

Hey thanks this is one of my favorite songs in fallout 76

Comment by Elijah Garcilazo

Thank you for the song bro.

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Comment by KrypticSniper357

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Comment by Joseph Bonzo

Did it in memory of a friend who passed away. We played Minecraft and fo76 together.

Comment by Smelly Guy

I love the song but by god that is the gayest pic iv ever seen... no offense

Comment by Joseph Bonzo

Dark As A Dungeon Lyrics Tennessee Ernie Ford Download Full

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Comment by pixey191

Dark As A Dungeon Lyrics Tennessee Ernie Ford Download For Mac

Been looking for this version everywhere, thanks man!