"Five Feet High and Rising" is a song written and sung by Johnny Cash that became one of his signature hits; during its original release in 1959, it peaked at No. 76 on Billboard Hot 100, and reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot C&W Sides chart. Cash wrote the song about his family's experience during a flood when he was a child. Each time he sings the refrain, he adds one more foot to the height of the rising water. On Sesame Street, Cash sang the song to Biff, who used square-foot boxes to illustrate the song's lyrics, which were not altered for the show.