Cash was known for his deep, calm bass-baritone voice, the distinctive sound of his Tennessee Three backing band characterized by train-sound guitar rhythms, a rebelliousness coupled with an increasingly somber and humble demeanor, free prison concerts, and a trademark, all-black stage wardrobe, which earned him the nickname "The Man in Black." He traditionally began his concerts by simply introducing himself, "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash," followed by his signature song "Folsom Prison Blues".
Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his career. His other signature songs include "I Walk the Line", "Ring of Fire", "Get Rhythm", and "Man in Black". He also recorded humorous numbers like "One Piece at a Time" and "A Boy Named Sue"; a duet with his future wife, June Carter, called "Jackson" (followed by many further duets after their wedding); and railroad songs including "Hey, Porter", "Orange Blossom Special", and "Rock Island Line". During the last stage of his career, Cash covered songs by several late 20th-century rock artists, notably "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails and "Rusty Cage" by Soundgarden.
Johnny Cash was born on February 26, 1932, in Kingsland, Arkansas, to Ray Cash and Carrie Cloveree (née Rivers). He was the fourth of seven children, who were in birth order: Roy, Margaret Louise, Jack, J. R., Reba, Joanne, and Tommy (who also became a successful country artist). He was primarily of English and Scottish descent. As an adult he traced his surname to 11th-century Fife, after meeting with the then-laird of Falkland, Major Michael Crichton-Stuart. Cash Loch and other locations in Fife bear the name of his family.
At birth, Cash was named J. R. Cash. When Cash enlisted in the United States Air Force, he was not permitted to use initials as a first name, so he changed his name to John R. Cash. In 1955, when signing with Sun Records, he started going by Johnny Cash.
In March 1935, when Cash was three years old, the family settled in Dyess, Arkansas, a New Deal colony established to give poor families a chance to work land that they had a chance to own as a result. Cash started working in cotton fields at the age of five, singing along with his family while working. The Cash farm experienced a flood during the family's time in Dyess, which led Cash later to write the song "Five Feet High and Rising". His family's economic and personal struggles during the Great Depression inspired many of his songs, especially those about other people facing similar difficulties. Consequently, Cash had sympathy for the poor and working class throughout his life.
Cash was very close to his older brother, Jack. On Saturday May 12, 1944, Jack was pulled into an unguarded table saw at his high school while cutting oak into fence posts as his job and was almost cut in two. He lingered until the following Saturday, when he died. Cash often spoke of the horrible guilt he felt over this incident; according to Cash: The Autobiography, his father was away that morning, but Johnny, his mother, and even Jack himself, all had premonitions or a sense of foreboding about that day. His mother urged Jack to skip work and go fishing with his brother, but Jack insisted on working since the family needed the money at the time. On his deathbed, Jack said he had visions of Heaven and angels. Decades later, Cash spoke of looking forward to meeting his brother in Heaven.
Cash's early memories were dominated by gospel music and radio. Taught guitar by his mother and a childhood friend, Cash began playing and writing songs at the age of 12. When young, Cash had a high-tenor voice, before becoming a bass-baritone after his voice changed.
In high school, he sang on a local radio station. Decades later, he released an album of traditional gospel songs, called My Mother's Hymn Book. He was also significantly influenced by traditional Irish music, which he heard performed weekly by Dennis Day on the Jack Benny radio program.
In 1997, Cash was diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease Shy–Drager syndrome, a form of multiple system atrophy. According to biographer Robert Hilburn, the disease was originally misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease, and Cash even announced to his audience that he had Parkinson's after nearly collapsing on stage in Flint, Michigan, on October 25, 1997. Soon afterwards, his diagnosis was changed to Shy–Drager, and Cash was told he had about 18 months to live. The diagnosis was later again altered to autonomic neuropathy associated with diabetes. The illness forced Cash to curtail his touring. He was hospitalized in 1998 with severe pneumonia, which damaged his lungs.
During the last stage of his career, Cash released the albums American III: Solitary Man (2000) and American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002). American IV included cover songs by several late 20th-century rock artists, notably "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails and "Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails commented that he was initially skeptical about Cash's plan to cover "Hurt", but was later impressed and moved by the rendition. The video for "Hurt" received critical and popular acclaim, including a Grammy Award.
June Carter Cash died on May 15, 2003, at the age of 73. June had told Cash to keep working, so he continued to record, completing 60 more songs in the last four months of his life, and even performed a few surprise shows at the Carter Family Fold outside Bristol, Virginia. At the July 5, 2003, concert (his last public performance), before singing "Ring of Fire", Cash read a statement about his late wife that he had written shortly before taking the stage:
"The spirit of June Carter overshadows me tonight with the love she had for me and the love I have for her. We connect somewhere between here and Heaven. She came down for a short visit, I guess, from Heaven to visit with me tonight to give me courage and inspiration like she always has. She's never been one for me except courage and inspiration. I thank God for June Carter. I love her with all my heart. "
Cash continued to record until shortly before his death. His final recordings were made on August 21, 2003, and consisted of "Like the 309", which appeared on American V: A Hundred Highways in 2006, and the final song he completed, "Engine 143", which was recorded for his son John Carter Cash for a planned Carter Family tribute album.
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Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Goin' where his daddy goes learnin' what his daddy knows
We got a boy and his name is John you oughta see little John tag along
Goin' where his daddy goes learnin' what his daddy knows
He's got a friend and her name is Kay and Kay goes with him every day
Gonna take Kay along gonna teach Kay this song
He's got a friend and his name is George but he's not the one from Valley Forge
He's got a friend and his name is Gives
(It's it's a dog I know but he's his friend
Yeah I know but it's a dog I know but he's his friend okay)
He's got a friend and his name is Gives Gives is so fat you can't see his ribs
A dog named Sergeant too he's his friend watch out he might bite you
I got a boy and his name is John you oughta see little John tag along
Goin' where his daddy goes (and his mommie)
Learnin' what his daddy (and his mommie) knows
(He will pick corn with his mama)
I got a boy
(Okay he'd go with both of us you can go with me and he can go with us
That'll be nice okay baby together)
I got a boy
The song “I Got A Boy And His Name Is John” by Johnny Cash and June Carter heavily focuses on family values and father-son relationships. It’s all about little John, their son, learning the ropes from Cash as he grows up. The chorus is all about how John is following in his father’s footsteps: “Goin’ where his daddy goes, learnin’ what his daddy knows.” The song follows up by explaining some of John’s friends, including a dog named Gives and a girl named Kay.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a boy and his name is John you oughta see little John tag along
I have a son named John who loves to follow me around everywhere I go
Goin' where his daddy goes learnin' what his daddy knows
He loves to go where I go and learn from me as much as he can
We got a boy and his name is John you oughta see little John tag along
We, Johnny and June, have a son named John who loves to follow us around everywhere we go
He's got a friend and her name is Kay and Kay goes with him every day
John has a female friend named Kay who joins him every day
Gonna take Kay along gonna teach Kay this song
We plan to take Kay along and teach her the song we know
He's got a friend and his name is George but he's not the one from Valley Forge
John has a male friend named George, but not the George from the historic Valley Forge event
And he's never been President that ain't the George we meant
He is not the president, just a regular guy named George
He's got a friend and his name is Gives
John's friend is a dog named Gives
(It's it's a dog I know but he's his friend
(I know, it's a dog but he is still John's friend)
Yeah I know but it's a dog I know but he's his friend okay)
I understand it's just a dog, but he is an important friend to John
He's got a friend and his name is Gives Gives is so fat you can't see his ribs
John has a dog friend named Gives who is overweight
A dog named Sergeant too he's his friend watch out he might bite you
John also has another dog friend named Sergeant, but be careful as he may bite
I got a boy and his name is John you oughta see little John tag along
I have a son named John who loves to follow me around everywhere I go
Goin' where his daddy goes (and his mommie)
John likes to go where both his father and mother go
Learnin' what his daddy (and his mommie) knows
He learns everything he can from both his father and mother
(He will pick corn with his mama)
(John enjoys spending time with his mother, even picking corn with her)
I got a boy
I have a son named John who is an important part of my life
(Okay he'd go with both of us you can go with me and he can go with us
(John will go with both of us, I would love to have you join us)
That'll be nice okay baby together)
(That would be lovely, let's spend time together as a family)
I got a boy
I have a son named John who is an important part of my life
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOHNNY R. CASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@johndoyle486
God Bless Johnny Cash
@deborahstarman9874
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue but in deed and in truth. And by this we know we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before Him
@heaven33957
I always ask Yahweh to guide me in the truth and the light before I open any holy book✋🏼 And these verse resonates to my soul like pure water from the speings from the heavens!
@deborahstarman9874
He who does not love his brother abides in death. He who hates his brother is a murderer, .....