Send a Picture of Mother

The song Send a Picture of Mother, with its duration of 2 minutes and 51 seconds, was recorded live at Folsom State Prison in California on January 13, 1968. This concert, which gave rise to the album At Folsom Prison, released by Columbia Records on May 6, 1968, stemmed from Johnny Cash's interest in performing in prisons, a desire that had been present since his 1955 song Folsom Prison Blues.

The opportunity to materialize this idea came in 1967, coinciding with changes in the production at Columbia Records, where Bob Johnston took over the production of Cash's material. At that time, Johnny Cash, who had overcome his addiction problems, was looking to revitalize his career. Accompanied by June Carter, Carl Perkins, and his band The Tennessee Three, Cash gave two performances at the prison. Despite Columbia not giving it much initial promotion, the album At Folsom Prison reached the top spot on the Country Music charts. The recording was produced by Frank Jones and Don Law.