“Johnny Cash released his 47th studio album, Ragged Old Flag, on 5 April 1974 as a response to the Watergate scandal.”

American SongwriterNews reportApril 5, 2026Read the original

An 'On This Day' feature in American Songwriter marking the anniversary of the album.

Our verdict

Mostly True

Ragged Old Flag came out in April 1974 and Cash framed it as a reply to the mood after Watergate, but the exact day and the album count vary between discographies.

What we found

Columbia Records released Ragged Old Flag in April 1974, and Cash said he made it to reaffirm faith in the country after Watergate and Vietnam. Discographies differ on whether it was his 44th or 47th album, depending on whether compilations are counted, and on the exact release day. The substance is right; the precise numbers are not settled.

The evidence

2 of 2 sources support the claim; none contradict it.

Contradict 0Support 2Background 0

Supports the claim
American Songwriter dates the release to 5 April 1974 and links it to Watergate. [1]
Supports the claim
The title track was a spoken-word reply to the disillusion after Vietnam and Watergate. [2]

How we checked

We checked the claim against American Songwriter, Wide Open Country. We reviewed 2 relevant sources.

Sources

[1]American Songwriter · On this day in 1974, Johnny Cash released this patriotic response to an infamous political scandal
[2]Wide Open Country · Ragged Old Flag: the story behind the song

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