"The Matador" is a song co-written and recorded by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

artist

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

. The song was written by Cash and his wife,

June Carter Cash June Carter Cash (born Valerie June Carter; June 23, 1929 – May 15, 2003) was an American singer, songwriter and dancer. A five-time Grammy award-winner, she was a member of the Carter Family and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash. Prior ...

. It was later included on the album '' Old Golden Throat''; along with the b-side "Still in Town".It was released in September 1963. ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' described it as "a medium-paced, chorus-backed Latin-styled romancer with a contagious repeating

riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accompani ...

throughout."

Chart performance

The single peaked at number two on the country charts. "The Matador" also crossed over to the Hot 100, peaking at number 44.

References

1963 singles Johnny Cash songs Songs written by Johnny Cash Columbia Records singles 1963 songs Songs written by June Carter Cash Song recordings produced by Don Law {{1960s-country-song-stub