The 2003 Approximation - S9-E4
Factual error: Sheldon tries to pretend that it is 2003, before he met Leonard. But in the episode The 21 Second Excitation S4 E8 it was stated Leonard and Sheldon waited in line for 14 hours to see the midnight premiere of Star Trek: Nemesis. Star Trek: Nemesis premiered on the 9th of December 2002.
Chosen answer: The song is called "Dark as a Dungeon" and was written and first performed by singer-songwriter Merle Travis in 1946. It has been performed by a wide array of artists, including Tennessee Ernie Ford, Harry Belafonte, Dolly Parton, Queens of the Stone Age, Kathy Mattea and Amy Grant. But it was made most famous when it was performed and recorded by Johnny Cash during his concert at Folsom Prison in 1968. According to Wikipedia: "It is a lament about the danger and drudgery of being a coal miner in an Appalachian shaft mine. It has become a rallying song among miners seeking improved working conditions."
Michael Albert