Down the Street to 301
1960 single by Johnny Cash
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Down the Street to 301" is a song originally recorded by Johnny Cash. It was written for him by Jack Clement.[2][3]
"The Story of a Broken Heart"
| "Down the Street to 301" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Johnny Cash | ||||
| from the album Now Here's Johnny Cash | ||||
| A-side | "Down the Street to 301" "The Story of a Broken Heart" | |||
| Released | June 1960 | |||
| Genre | Country, rockabilly, doo-wop, honky-tonk, pop | |||
| Label | Sun 343 | |||
| Songwriter | Jack Clement[1] | |||
| Johnny Cash singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Down the Street to 301" (audio only) on YouTube | ||||
The song was recorded by Cash on July 17, 1958 during his final session for Sun Records[4][3] (or on May 15)[5] and released as a single (Sun 343, with "The Story of a Broken Heart" on the opposite side)[6][7][8][9] in June 1960.[10][11]
Background
According to John M. Alexander's book The Man in Song: A Discographic Biography of Johnny Cash, the song was written by Charlie Rich:
"Down the Street to 301" was the last track Cash recorded at Sun Studios, courtesy of Charlie Rich. It's a story about a boy who is dating the girl who lives at 301. It appears that they were aiming for a song, and a sound, similar to Cash's giant hit "Ballad of a Teenage Queen." It almost feels like a follow-up to that song, with its doo-wop harmonies and pop production.
— John M. Alexander. The Man in Song: A Discographic Biography of Johnny Cash[4]
The song can be considered "a fitting finale to Cash's incredible Sun recording career".[4]
Charts
| Chart (1960) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[12] | 85 |