Even adults have performance anxiety when expected to entertain an audience. Even mainstream performers and bands get stage nervousness, so image playing solo with so many lights and so many people watching. Here is Wesley, aged five, performing Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.” This child is very rock and roll. He takes the stage by himself, sits down with his guitar, and begins playing without a trace of fear.
He pronounces certain words like every other child, such as “train” as “twain.” You get the point. Wesley prefers to play the bass string, which may be an attempt to bring character to the traditional country tune.
Redemption, moral adversity, and grief are recurring themes in “The man in black.” Yeah, Cash favored dark attire and a deep voice to complement his aesthetic. With a gloomy and composed air, he became a criminal.
The song was composed in what was then West Germany in the early 1950s, when Cash was serving in the United States Air Force. More funnier was the fact that he penned it in Landsberg, Bavaria, a renowned jail. What would Johnny Cash say? He penned it after watching the 1951 film Within the Walls of Folsom Prison.
Essentially, a man will spend the rest of his life in prison because he “shot a man in Reno to see him die.” This clarifies the lyrics. He is aware that other individuals are free while he is imprisoned for the crime he committed. Dark things. Young Wesley’s performance has garnered over 4,8 million views.
He moves his leg in time with the rhythm of his strumming while his red hair bobs to the deep tune of his guitar. Wesley must not be diverted. He sings with all of his heart, making Cash proud.
As a tribute to Johnny, it would have been nice if he had stated “Hi, I’m Wesley” before beginning to play, but hey, this kid has attitude, so it’s all good. In addition, it’s amazing to witness a child performing a classic country song from the 1950s.
Whether or not this young man understands the lyrics of the song he is singing is arguable, but his skill cannot be denied.