When then-President Richard Nixon sat down at the piano on the stage of the Grand Old Opry in 1974, he was reinforcing a conservative, polemical wall of sound to help contain several decades of transformational popular music, from blues and jazz to rock & roll. Music was the last thing on his mind.

As part of his notorious race-based “southern strategy,” Nixon led the efforts of conservative elites to co-opt American country-western music. He got the idea from George Wallace’s 1968 campaign, which Wallace had filled with country stars like Hank Snow and Hank Williams Jr.

Johnny Cash and Roy Clark — Rock Island Line.

Johnny Cash & Miss Piggy, from Season 5 (1981) of ‘The Muppet Show’ Grab your popcorn, put your feet up on the seatback in front of ya, and aim your spitballs at the ushers please. This is Late Late Night FireDogLake, where off topic is the topic … so dive in. What’s on your mind?

The subject of tonight’s Late Night post is: Hurt. I hope none of you are hurting tonight.

Obama’s timidity on added economic stimulus is a self-fulfilling prophecy that would put Shakespeare’s Macbeth to shame.

Louis Armstrong and Johnny Cash — Blue Yodel No. 9 from The Johnny Cash Show, October 28, 1970.

Johnny Cash – The Man In Black.

What’s on your mind tonight?

(lyrics below the jump)