Tennessee Flat Top Box

"Tennessee Flat Top Box" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Johnny Cash. It was released as a single in late 1961, reaching 11 on the Billboard country singles charts and 84 on the pop charts.^[1] The song's name refers to a steel stringed acoustic guitar.

Content

The song is a story of a little boy aspiring to be a country singer, who starts his career at a local cabaret in a South Texas border town. He has no physical abilities, only his ability to play the guitar, which he loves so much that making money is secondary to him. He becomes so popular that girls "from there to Austin" would secretly leave home and pawn jewelry for money to make the trip to hear him play, and "all the girls from nine to ninety, were snapping fingers, tapping toes, and begging him: 'Don't stop.'"

Ultimately he disappears from the local scene, only to re-emerge on television, having fulfilled his dream.

Chart performance

Chart (1961)	Peak position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[2]	11
US Billboard Hot 100^[3]	84

Rosanne Cash version

"Tennessee Flat Top Box"

Single by Rosanne Cash

from the album King's Record Shop

B-side

"Why Don't You Quit Leaving Me Alone"^[4]

Released

November 1987

Format

7" single

Genre

Country

Length

3:09

Columbia #07624

Johnny Cash

Rosanne Cash singles chronology

"The Way We Make a Broken Heart"
(1987)

"Tennessee Flat Top Box"
(1987)

"It's Such a Small World"
(1988)

Cash's daughter Rosanne Cash recorded a cover version of "Tennessee Flat Top Box" in 1987 on her album King's Record Shop. Released in November 1987 as that album's third single, it was also the third of four consecutive number-one country hits from that album,^[4] peaking in February 1988. Randy Scruggs played the acoustic guitar solos on it.^[5]

Rosanne Cash recorded the song at the suggestion of her then-husband and fellow country singer, Rodney Crowell. When she recorded the song, she was unaware that her father wrote it, and assumed that it was in the public domain.^[6] Johnny later told Rosanne that her success with the song was "one of [his] greatest fulfillments."^[6] The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll cited Rosanne's cover as a "healing of her strained relationship with her dad."^[7] Following her father's death in 2003, Rosanne Cash performed the song during The Johnny Cash Memorial Tribute concert TV special.

Chart performance

Chart (1987–1988)	Peak position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)^[8]	1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	1

Preceded by "Wheels" by Restless Heart	Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single February 13, 1988	Succeeded by "Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star" by Merle Haggard
	RPM Country Tracks number-one single February 20, 1988

Rock Band Music Gaming Platform

A version was made available to download on January 4, 2011 for use in the Rock Band 3 music gaming platform in both Basic rhythm, and PRO mode which allows use of a real guitar / bass guitar, and MIDI compatible electronic drum kits / keyboards in addition to vocals.

References

1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 85. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
↑ "Johnny Cash – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Johnny Cash.
↑ "Johnny Cash – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Johnny Cash.
1 2 Whitburn, p. 87
↑ Brackett, Nathan. The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. p. 150. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
1 2 Miller, Stephen (2003). Johnny Cash: The Life of an American Icon. Omnibus Press. p. 297. ISBN 0-7119-9626-1.
↑ George-Warren, Holly. The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll. 2001. et al. (3 ed.). p. 158. ISBN 0-7432-0120-5.
↑ "Rosanne Cash – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Rosanne Cash.

Johnny Cash

Studio albums	With His Hot and Blue Guitar Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous The Fabulous Johnny Cash Greatest! Songs of Our Soil Sings Hank Williams Now, There Was a Song! Now Here's Johnny Cash The Sound of Johnny Cash All Aboard the Blue Train Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash The Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash I Walk the Line Orange Blossom Special Everybody Loves a Nut Happiness Is You Old Golden Throat More of Old Golden Throat Hello, I'm Johnny Cash The World of Johnny Cash Man in Black A Thing Called Love International Superstar Any Old Wind That Blows Ragged Old Flag The Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me John R. Cash Look at Them Beans One Piece at a Time The Last Gunfighter Ballad I Would Like to See You Again Gone Girl Silver Rockabilly Blues The Baron The Adventures of Johnny Cash Johnny 99 Rainbow Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town Classic Cash: Hall of Fame Series Water from the Wells of Home Boom Chicka Boom The Mystery of Life American Recordings Unchained American III: Solitary Man American IV: The Man Comes Around Personal File American V: A Hundred Highways American VI: Ain't No Grave Out Among the Stars

Concept albums	Ride This Train Blood, Sweat and Tears Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian Sings the Ballads of the True West From Sea to Shining Sea America: A 200-Year Salute in Story and Song The Johnny Cash Children's Album The Rambler

Gospel albums	Hymns by Johnny Cash Hymns from the Heart The Holy Land The Gospel Road (film soundtrack) Sings Precious Memories A Believer Sings the Truth Believe in Him Return to the Promised Land (video soundtrack) My Mother's Hymn Book

Christmas albums	The Christmas Spirit The Johnny Cash Family Christmas Classic Christmas Johnny Cash Country Christmas

Collaborations	The Lure of the Grand Canyon Carryin' On with Johnny Cash and June Carter Johnny Cash and His Woman The Legend of Jesse James The Survivors Live Highwayman Class of '55 Heroes Highwayman 2 The Road Goes on Forever VH1 Storytellers

Live albums	At Folsom Prison At San Quentin The Johnny Cash Show På Österåker Strawberry Cake Koncert v Praze (In Prague–Live) At Madison Square Garden A Concert Behind Prison Walls

Non-Gospel Soundtracks	I Walk the Line Little Fauss and Big Halsy

Compilations	Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 Heart of Cash Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Sunday Morning Coming Down Five Feet High and Rising Destination Victoria Station Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 The Unissued Johnny Cash Johnny & June Tall Man Encore Biggest Hits The Man in Black 1954–1958 The Man in Black 1959–1962 Come Along and Ride This Train The Essential Johnny Cash (1992) Wanted Man The Man in Black 1963–1969 The Man in Black – His Greatest Hits 16 Biggest Hits Love, God, Murder The Essential Johnny Cash (2002) Unearthed The Legend The Legend of Johnny Cash Johnny Cash: Patriot 16 Biggest Hits: Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash The Legend of Johnny Cash Vol. II The Complete Columbia Album Collection

Songs	"25 Minutes to Go" "Seasons of My Heart" "Any Old Wind That Blows" "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" "Big River" "Blistered" "A Boy Named Sue" "Busted" "Cat's in the Cradle" "Cocaine Blues" "Cry! Cry! Cry!" "Daddy Sang Bass" "Dark as a Dungeon" "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" "Engine 143" "Flesh and Blood" "The Folk Singer" "Folsom Prison Blues" "Forty Shades of Green" "Get Rhythm" "Goodnight, Irene" "Green, Green Grass of Home" "Greystone Chapel" "Guess Things Happen That Way" "Hey, Porter" "Home of the Blues" "Hurt" "I Couldn't Keep from Crying" "I Love You Because" "I Still Miss Someone" "I Walk the Line" "If I Had a Hammer" "If I Were a Carpenter" "In My Life" "In the Jailhouse Now" "It Ain't Me Babe" "Jackson" "Kate" "The Man Comes Around" "Man in Black" "The Matador" "Oh Lonesome Me" "One Piece at a Time" "Oney" "Orange Blossom Special" "The One on the Right Is on the Left" "Remember the Alamo" "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" "Ring of Fire" "Rock Island Line" "So Doggone Lonesome" "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" "Tennessee Flat Top Box" "There Ain't No Good Chain Gang" "A Thing Called Love" "Understand Your Man" "What Is Truth" "What'd I Say"

Television	The Johnny Cash Show

Family	June Carter Cash John Carter Cash Rosanne Cash Carlene Carter Vivian Liberto Tommy Cash Carter Family

Related	Albums discography Singles discography Sun Records discography The Highwaymen Carter Family Fold Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words Cash: The Autobiography Johnny Cash! The Man, His World, His Music Walk the Line We Walk the Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash Ring of Fire (2013 film) Ring of Fire (musical) My Father and the Man in Black Dyess, Arkansas The Sound Behind Johnny Cash

Book

Rosanne Cash

Studio albums	Rosanne Cash Right or Wrong Seven Year Ache Somewhere in the Stars Rhythm & Romance King's Record Shop Interiors The Wheel 10 Song Demo Rules of Travel Black Cadillac The List The River & the Thread

Compilation albums	Hits 1979–1989 Retrospective The Country Side Super Hits The Very Best of Rosanne Cash The Essential Rosanne Cash

Notable singles	"No Memories Hangin' Round" "Couldn't Do Nothin' Right" "Seven Year Ache" "My Baby Thinks He's a Train" "Blue Moon with Heartache" "Ain't No Money" "I Wonder" "It Hasn't Happened Yet" "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me" "Never Be You" "Hold On" "Second to No One" "The Way We Make a Broken Heart" "Tennessee Flat Top Box" "If You Change Your Mind" "Runaway Train" "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" "What We Really Want"

Guest singles	"If It Weren't for Him" (with Vince Gill) "It's Such a Small World" (with Rodney Crowell)

Related articles	Discography Columbia Records Johnny Cash Tommy Cash John Carter Cash "Never Alone" Ghost Brothers of Darkland County

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