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 Timothy 1
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause one means only me and there's no you
But one plus one you see makes two that's you and me
And it's more fun when one and one makes two
Oh yes one and one makes two at least I'm pretty sure they do
Oh yes it's true one and one makes two
Now let me show you what I mean
You're all alone and you don't know what to do
Well just go and find a friend and sit him on the other end
You'll have more fun when one and one makes two
Oh yes one and one
Now you say you want to play a game of baseball
And you look around and there's no one but you
Well just find someone you know and he will catch the ball you throw
You'll have more fun when one and one makes two
Oh yes one and one
Now there's the best reason of all that I like to number two right here
Now everyone needs somebody to share with
To love and help and care for through and through
And there's no one that I've known who can share or love alone
It's a lot nicer when one and one makes two
Oh yes one and one
I said it's true one and one makes two
The lyrics of Johnny Cash's song 2 Timothy 1 talks about the significance of relationships with others. The opening lines explain that the number one is not Cash's favorite number as it represents being alone. He then highlights the importance of having someone to share experiences with, as one plus one equals two, and this is much more enjoyable than being alone. Cash uses the analogy of playing on a seesaw, where one needs a friend to sit on the other end to have fun, and playing baseball, where one needs someone to catch the ball to have fun.
As the song progresses, Cash highlights the most crucial aspect of human relationships, the need for companionship. He stresses that everyone needs someone to share with, love, care and ultimately make life better. Lone rangers can achieve so much, but the joy of success is more enjoyable when shared with others. Interestingly, Cash omits the use of gender in the song, making it more people-inclusive and pointing out the importance of companionship among all.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh the number one is not my favorite number
Johnny Cash dislikes the number one because it represents only him without anyone else.
'Cause one means only me and there's no you
The number one represents individuality, which goes against the idea of having someone to share life with.
But one plus one you see makes two that's you and me
The combination of two individuals creates a relationship, represented by the number two.
And it's more fun when one and one makes two
Life becomes more enjoyable when shared with someone else.
Oh yes one and one makes two at least I'm pretty sure they do
Johnny Cash playfully notes that he is certain that one and one equals two.
Now let me show you what I mean
Johnny Cash is about to give examples to further illustrate his point.
Now you say you want to play upon a seesaw
A seesaw is used as an example to show that it requires two people to play together.
You're all alone and you don't know what to do
Being alone can be overwhelming when wanting to play games that require more than one player.
Well just go and find a friend and sit him on the other end
Finding a friend to play with is the solution to the problem of being alone and not knowing what to do.
Now you say you want to play a game of baseball
Baseball is used as another example of a game that requires more than one player.
And you look around and there's no one but you
Not having someone to play baseball with can be discouraging.
Well just find someone you know and he will catch the ball you throw
Finding someone to play with is once again the solution to the problem of not having someone to play with.
Now there's the best reason of all that I like to number two right here
Johnny Cash reveals that the most important reason he prefers the number two is because everyone needs somebody to share life with.
Now everyone needs somebody to share with
Sharing life with someone else is a fundamental human need.
To love and help and care for through and through
Sharing with another person entails not only receiving love but also giving love and support.
And there's no one that I've known who can share or love alone
Attempting to live life alone without sharing it with someone else is impossible.
It's a lot nicer when one and one makes two
Sharing life with someone else is more enjoyable and fulfilling.
Oh yes one and one
Johnny Cash reiterates his point that pairing with someone else is a desirable way to live life.
I said it's true one and one makes two
Johnny Cash concludes the song by affirming that the combination of two individuals always yields a satisfying result.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JEFFREY A MOSS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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