We leave the line for three reasons:

We cannot talk about this concept without giving the Man in Black his due. Johnny Cash did not just sing about walking the line; he bled on it.

: Early usage dates back to the 1700s , appearing in Masonic poetry to signify being "true and faithful" to a sacred art or code.

Johnny Cash transformed the phrase into a global anthem with his breakthrough 1956 single. I Walked The Line My Life With Johnny

: Some historians trace it to 18th-century convict yards , where prisoners were forced to walk along painted lines during exercise; deviating from the line resulted in punishment.

To walk the line is to reject the safety of the sidewalk. It is a deliberate act of controlled peril.

: Some interpret it as "walking the straight and narrow," staying right in the middle of a path to avoid the "tempting edge" of sin. 3. The Biographical Film (2005) The phrase gained renewed prominence with the biopic Walk the Line