The early 1970s faced political changes that led country singer Johnny Cash to release "Ragged Old Flag" in the hopes of reanimating people's faith in America, and it became a timeless classic.
Cash wrote “Ragged Old Flag,” the title track to his first of two albums released in 1974, after some deep reflection over his support for President Richard Nixon. At the time, America was at a crossroads with the increasing unpopularity of the Vietnam War and the corruption behind the Watergate scandal. Cash was always an unabashed patriot who openly supported Nixon's candidacy.
When Watergate occurred, the singer began to question Nixon's political decisions concerning the war. The 1972 scandal led to Nixon's impeachment and subsequent resignation as president, which many felt was an embarrassing narrative about America. According to Robert Hilburn’s Johnny Cash biography, the singer wrote the track to “reaffirm faith in the country and the goodness of the American people.”
Its lyrics focus on an old man in a town square speaking to a visitor who shows their dislike and criticism of the American flag. The old man instead teaches the history behind the flag and what it has been through. For Cash, writing the lyrics for "Ragged Old Flag" came easily, and he even joked that after years in his career, people would think he was a newbie in the industry.
“I got so excited writing the songs in this album that you’d think I just started in the music business,” Cash wrote in the album’s liner notes, according to the official Johnny Cash website. “‘Ragged Old Flag’ … came out faster than I could write it down. You’ve heard of people who write songs in ten minutes. ‘Ragged Old Flag’ was one of those songs.”
"Ragged Old Flag" had moderate success when it was released and landed at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, but never charted on the Hot 100 chart. It would regain popularity decades later after the events of 9/11 and would become a staple at events around the nation. Cash's song has even been played by the West Point Band and by veteran groups on Veterans Day and the 4th of July.
In 2020, it saw a gain in digital downloads and streams since its original release, when it was used in an NFL commercial. It caught attention during Super Bowl LIV when the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers squared off for the championship.
Related: 1971 Classic, Inspired by One of the 'Best Movies' of All Time, Became a No. 1 Heartbreak Anthem
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