The virgins are all trimmin’ their wicks
Seriously, I thought it was about virgins trimmin’ their pubic hair because they’re gonna have sex. It was only a couple of years later that I actually looked it up. I realized it alludes to the Parable of the Ten Virgins from the Gospel of Matthew (25:1–13) with the lyrics “The virgins are all trimming their wicks,” being a reference to the virgins getting ready for the Second Coming of Christ.
In the parable there are five wise and five foolish virgins. The wise ones have their wicks trimmed and wait at home for their husbands-to-be. While the foolish ones miss out because they didn’t think to do the same. The point of the story to be ready for Jesus’ return or you will miss out.
Because back in the old days when light came from burning oil in lamps, trimming the wick, which drew the oil up from the storage reservoir, was so that the flame would be clean and bright. It had to be very visible and burn evenly, without hot spots, so that it would not need attention again for some time. This was especially important for those onboard ships because the oil lamps were their only source of light (more so on moonless nights).
TLDR: The virgins that properly trimmed their wick would’ve had a bright flame that the eligible bachelors would’ve noticed from afar and it would’ve also lasted longer too because the virgins wouldn’t have needed to constantly refill the oil lamp. So in Johnny Cash’s song, “the virgins are all trimmin’ their wicks” basically means that all the young women are ready and prepared to meet the eligible bachelors.
