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.
2 Corinthians 5
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Celebrating at Christmas time
And according to Marshall Grant up in Flatts
North Carolina they had their own way
Of celebrating Christmas too
Marshall what did you get for Christmas say
When you were six years old
Biggest present that I could
Ever remember getting
Was something like a little hatchet
Or a french harp
I remember one year that I got a
Hatchet and Odell got a french harp
And he wanted my hatchet and I
Didn't want his french harp
But he got what he wanted and everything
But there was fourteen of us
In that little house up
In Flatts North Carolina
There was one thing that we did have and at
That time of year and that was love
All of us loved one another and it was cold
Always cold with the little fireplace but
The room felt so warm
And it was really warm even though
There was a lot of scrambling
Over the gifts that we got
Swapping backers and forth
From all the brothers and sisters
It was really warm in Flatts
North Carolina always on Christmas
I think probably a lot of people might wonder
As I did where is Flatts North Carolina
Well I tell you Flatts North Carolina
It's about eighty miles from Ashville
And you go through Cherokee and Brison City
And you get to a little place
Called Maddy Hill in North Carolina
But that isn't it!
No
Then you go up the wind
You take a little left there at
Maddy Hill if you're going east
And you go up the winding stairs for fourteen
Miles and you round about a dozen bends
And all of a sudden, there is no sign
And if you ask anybody up there
Where Olson Grant lives that's Main Street
The lyrics to Johnny Cash's song "2 Corinthians 5" reflect a conversation between Johnny Cash and Marshall Grant about their childhood memories of celebrating Christmas in Flatts, North Carolina. The lyrics depict a simple and humble celebration filled with love and warmth. The song highlights the memories of receiving gifts, such as a hatchet and a french harp, and the excitement and joy of sharing and swapping gifts with their brothers and sisters. Despite the cold weather and the small size of their house, the room always felt warm due to the love they had for one another.
The lyrics also include a conversation about the location of Flatts, North Carolina, and the journey to get there. Flatts is described as being about eighty miles from Asheville and involves passing through Cherokee, Bryson City, and Maddy Hill. The song vividly describes the winding stairs and bends one must navigate to reach the destination, emphasizing the remoteness and obscurity of the place.
Overall, the lyrics of "2 Corinthians 5" evoke a nostalgic and sentimental tone, reminiscing about a humble and loving Christmas celebration in a small town.
Line by Line Meaning
That's a night we are
This refers to a specific night that holds significance for us.
Celebrating at Christmas time
We are joyously commemorating the Christmas season.
And according to Marshall Grant up in Flatts
Marshall Grant, who resides in Flatts, North Carolina, shares a different Christmas tradition.
North Carolina they had their own way
In North Carolina, they had their unique customs and practices.
Of celebrating Christmas too
They also have their own way of observing and honoring Christmas.
Marshall what did you get for Christmas say
Marshall, can you share what you received on Christmas?
When you were six years old
Specifically, when you were around the age of six?
When I was six years old or there about the
During my early childhood, approximately at the age of six or nearby,
Biggest present that I could
The most significant gift that I can recall
Ever remember getting
That I can nostalgically remember receiving
Was something like a little hatchet
Was akin to a small ax or hatchet
Or a french harp
Alternatively, it might have been a harmonica
I remember one year that I got a
I distinctly recall a particular year when I obtained
Hatchet and Odell got a french harp
A hatchet, while my friend Odell received a harmonica
And he wanted my hatchet and I
Odell desired my hatchet, yet I
Didn't want his french harp
I was not interested in exchanging it for his harmonica
But he got what he wanted and everything
Nevertheless, he successfully obtained the desired trade
But there was fourteen of us
However, there were a total of fourteen individuals
In that little house up
Residing within that humble dwelling
In Flatts North Carolina
Located in Flatts, North Carolina
There was one thing that we did have and at
Despite our modest circumstances, there was one thing we possessed
That time of year and that was love
During the Christmas season, what we had abundantly was love
All of us loved one another and it was cold
Every one of us cherished and cared for each other despite the cold weather
Always cold with the little fireplace but
Although the small fireplace couldn't provide much warmth, the cold persisted
The room felt so warm
Nevertheless, the room felt incredibly cozy and comfortable
And it was really warm even though
Surprisingly, it felt considerably warm despite
There was a lot of scrambling
The chaos and excitement were prevalent
Over the gifts that we got
Regarding the presents we received
Swapping backers and forth
Exchanging items back and forth between us
From all the brothers and sisters
Amongst all the siblings in our family
It was really warm in Flatts
The warmth we experienced in Flatts, North Carolina, was truly remarkable
North Carolina always on Christmas
This warmth and love were consistently present during the Christmas season in North Carolina
I think probably a lot of people might wonder
I believe that many individuals may wonder
As I did where is Flatts North Carolina
Similar to my own curiosity, they might ponder the whereabouts of Flatts, North Carolina
Well I tell you Flatts North Carolina
Allow me to inform you about Flatts, North Carolina
It's about eighty miles from Ashville
It is approximately eighty miles away from Ashville
And you go through Cherokee and Brison City
To reach there, you would pass through Cherokee and Brison City
And you get to a little place
Eventually, you arrive at a small location
Called Maddy Hill in North Carolina
This place is known as Maddy Hill in North Carolina
But that isn't it!
However, that's not the final destination!
No
Not at all
Then you go up the wind
You continue ascending along the winding path
You take a little left there at
At a specific point, you make a slight left turn
Maddy Hill if you're going east
If you're traveling east, this is the path you follow from Maddy Hill
And you go up the winding stairs for fourteen
You ascend the winding stairs for a distance of fourteen
Miles and you round about a dozen bends
Covering approximately a dozen twists and turns
And all of a sudden, there is no sign
Unexpectedly, you reach a point where there are no markers or indicators
And if you ask anybody up there
If you inquire of anyone in that area
Where Olson Grant lives that's Main Street
The indication for locating Olson Grant's residence is referred to as Main Street
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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Anonymous
on Wayfaring Stranger
Wayfaring Stranger - The New Appalachians - Lyrics
I am a poor wayfaring stranger
Traveling through this world alone
There will be no sickness, toil or danger
In that grand land to which I roam
Well I'm going home to see my mother
I'm going home to a morning rose
I'm only goin' over Jordan
I'm only goin' over home
Musical Interlude
I know dark clouds will gather 'round me
I know my way is rough and steep
And beautiful fields lie just before me
Where God's redeemed there vigils keep
Well I'm going home to see my brothers
I'm going home no more to roam
I'm only goin' over Jordan
I'm only goin' over home
Musical Interlude
I'm going home to see my Father
I'm going home no more to roam
I'm only goin' over Jordan
I’m only goin’ where no one roams
I want to wear that crown of glory
When I get to that good land
I want to shout out salvation story
In concert with that blood washed band.
I'm going there to see my saviour
I’ll see his face no more to roam
I'm only going over Jordan
I'm only going over home
I'm only goin' over home