MP3: Johnny Cash, “Mobile Bay”
Mobile, Alabama. Many people have no idea that Alabama even has a beach, much less it’s own bay. Mobile is actually a fascinating city in a number of ways, especially since many people are not even familiar with it. A study in 2007 concluded that Mobile is the wettest city in the contiguous 48 states of America. That means it rains there a lot. It’s also a hurricane prone area and one of the biggest victims of Hurricane Katrina. When you think Mardi Gras, you probably think of New Orleans. Well, Mobile has them beat. It’s also the tenth largest port in the United States. A fascinating city, indeed.
It’s where I grew up. It’s also where I recently spent a weekend, traveling from North Carolina for the funeral of my father. An unfortunate occasion to visit for, but I’m thankful for any opportunity I get to visit my favorite city.
In 1981, Johnny Cash released his album titled The Baron. “Mobile Bay” was one of four singles from the album, though it was not widely successful. It peaked at number 60 on the Billboard Country Singles chart.
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Johnny Cash.com | MySpace
This is one of my favorite songs of all time. I have only been to Mobile, Alabama, once, and that was 35 years ago, and I loved it. But more than that, this song evokes the feelings you have for your home.. be it Mobile, Boston, Flagstaff, or anywhere else. For me, it’s Montana. You have to listen to the feelings as well as the words. It’s very cool, however, that Johnny Cash chose Mobile to represent the homes we all long for.