Johnny Cash
Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

What's a nice girl like you
Doing in a place like this
The people here should be in a zoo
The kind of zoo that shouldn't exist
Where the elephants are heavily drugged
The giant pandas sleep in a shed
And people watch them try to make love
Behind a sign that says they mustn't be fed

I've seen a lot of action
I've seen a lot a pain
I'm going back to Jackson
I won't be with you again

What's a nice boy like me
Doing with a girl like you
Coincidence or chemistry
You were my first tattoo

I've seen a lot of action
I've seen a lot a pain
I'm going back to Jackson
I won't be with you again

I thought I was bullet proof
But a bullet proved I was wrong
I walked with the gospel truth
The Matthew, Mark Luke and John
I saw my life pass through
Your torn tattoo bullet hole
I saw my birth, my school
My further education and dole

Now in the chapel there's a preacher
With a porno star's moustache




He's gonna send my soul to Jesus
With a song by Johnny Cash

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine's "Johnny Cash" seem initially to be about a couple in a seedy bar or club, looking out of place amongst the other patrons. The singer describes the setting as if it were a zoo- the kind of place where animals are mistreated and exploited for entertainment. While they're observing the people behaving carelessly around them, the singer introspects and reminisces about his own life experiences. He's seen a lot of action and pain, and alludes to some kind of loss or heartbreak. He utters a kind of farewell- he won't be with the girl again.


The second verse repeats the first, but this time from the girl's perspective. She's a nice girl, and the singer a nice boy- he wonders if their meeting was just a coincidence or if there was some chemistry between them. He sounds almost nostalgic as he reflects on getting his first tattoo- which appears to be a memory of spending time with her. In the final stanza, the singer's thoughts turn to his mortality. He talks about the illusion of his own invincibility being shattered by a "bullet," possibly a reference to some traumatic experience. He describes his life passing before his eyes, ending with an image of a preacher with a porn star mustache sending his soul to Jesus using a song by Johnny Cash.


Overall, the song seems to be about the realization of one's own mortality, and the impermanence and fragility of life. Although the specific references (like the zoo and Johnny Cash) elude a clear interpretation, the song is reflective and introspective, imbued with the bittersweetness of nostalgia and resignation.


Line by Line Meaning

What's a nice girl like you
Questioning why someone seemingly good is in a bad place


Doing in a place like this
Asking why someone is in a place where they don't belong


The people here should be in a zoo
The people here are so strange they should be put on display


The kind of zoo that shouldn't exist
A zoo where the conditions are so terrible no animals should be kept there


Where the elephants are heavily drugged
The animals are not treated well and are given drugs to make them easier to handle


The giant pandas sleep in a shed
Even animals that people love are not given proper living conditions


And people watch them try to make love
People come to the zoo for perverse reasons and watch even the animals mate


Behind a sign that says they mustn't be fed
Even though the animals are on display, it is not allowed to feed them


I've seen a lot of action
I have seen many things happen


I've seen a lot a pain
I have seen and experienced much suffering


I'm going back to Jackson
I am returning to a place I know well


I won't be with you again
I will not be with you anymore


What's a nice boy like me
Questioning why someone seemingly good is with someone bad


Doing with a girl like you
Asking why someone is with a person they are not expected to be with


Coincidence or chemistry
Wondering if the relationship is merely chance or if there is true connection between the two people


You were my first tattoo
You were my first permanent, meaningful mark on my life


I thought I was bullet proof
I believed I was invincible


But a bullet proved I was wrong
A traumatic experience proved that I am not invincible


I walked with the gospel truth
I lived my life with strong religious beliefs


The Matthew, Mark Luke and John
Referencing the four Gospels of the Christian Bible


I saw my life pass through
My life flashed before my eyes


Your torn tattoo bullet hole
Seeing a physical representation of the trauma I experienced through your tattoo, which has been damaged like a bullet hole


I saw my birth, my school
Reliving key moments of my life


My further education and dole
Referencing my higher education and unemployment


Now in the chapel there's a preacher
Describing a religious figure in a place of worship


With a porno star's moustache
A play on words, describing a sleazy preacher who seems insincere


He's gonna send my soul to Jesus
The preacher will perform a religious rite to save my soul


With a song by Johnny Cash
The preacher will use music to perform the religious rite, specifically a song by Johnny Cash




Contributed by Ethan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions