'Ring of Fire' headed to Preparation H ads

NASHVILLE, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Johnny Cash's classic "Ring of Fire" may soon be heard on Preparation H ads, in a twist to the song's meaning that the co-writer thinks is hilarious.

Merle Kilgore, who wrote the classic country song with the late June Carter Cash, said the coincidence is that he used to make hemorrhoid jokes about the song when he performed it onstage during his 20 years on the road, Nashville's Tennessean reported Friday.

"I'd say, 'Ladies and gentlemen, I want to give credit where credit is due. I dedicate this song to the makers of Preparation H,'" Kilgore said. "And they would just fall out. So when the song publisher called and told me about it, I said, 'I can't believe it!'"

TV producer Sula Miller of Big Grin Productions in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is the mastermind behind the song's new life.

The idea came to her when she heard "Ring of Fire" on the radio at a time when she herself was struggling with the medical condition in question.

The actual inspiration behind the song was the passion between Johnny and June Carter Cash in the early days of their romance.