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Ring Of Fire

by June Carter and Merle Kilgore, as performed by Johnny Cash

 

Note: This song has some tricky time signature issues.  It’s in cut time (2/2), but for clarity, I’ve notated it as if it’s in 4/4 (with occasional measures of 2/4).  I’ve also “dashed out” the verses because of the complex rhythm.

 

If you're looking for easy guitar tabs of this and other Johnny Cash songs, The Best of Johnny Cash - Easy Guitar is great.  And Fred Sokolow, one of my favorite teachers, put out a DVD called Music of Johnny Cash that features the song.

 

Strum Guide

Four-beat Strum:

D   D U   U D U

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

Two-beat Strum:

D   D U

1 + 2 +

Chorus Strum w/alternating bass:

B   D U B   D U

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

 

 

Intro: / G - - - / C - / G - - - - / - - - - /  

           / G - - - / D - / G - - - - / - - - - /  

 

 / G - - - / - - C - / G - - - / C - / G - - - / - - - - /

Love is a burning thing

/ G - - - / - - D - / G - - - / D - / G - - - / - - - - /

And it makes a fiery  ring

/ G - - - / - - C - / G - - - / C - / G - - - / - - - - /

Bound by wild desire

/ G - - - / D - / G - - - / - - - - /

I fell into a ring of fire

 

Chorus:

D (2)           C                     G

I fell into a burning ring of fire

            D (2)                                  C                 G

I went down, down, down, and the flames went higher

          G (2)

And it burns, burns, burns

/ G - C - / G - - - /

The ring of fire

/ G - D - / G - - - / - - - - /

The ring of fire

 

Intro x2

 

Chorus

 

/ G - - - / - - C - / G - - - / C - / G - - - / - - - - /

The taste of love is sweet

/ G - - - / - - D - / G - - - / D - / G - - - / - - - - /

When hearts like ours meet

/ G - - - / - - /- - - - / - - - - / C - / G - - - / - - - - /

I fell for you like a child

/ G - - - / - - D - / G - - - / - - - - /

Ohh, but the fire went wild

 

Chorus x2

 

Repeat last three lines of chorus

 

End on G

 

This file is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of this song.  It's intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.

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