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.
A Wednesday Car
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They've been livin' it up and layin' up Saturday and Sunday
On Tuesday they're about to come around
But they still feel bad and they're kinda down
And mad cause they've got four more day before the weekend rolls around
On Wednesday they're feelin' fine again
And they're workin' like a dog and diggin' in
Tryin' to do everything they should puttin' 'em cars together good
If you're gonna boy yourself a new car
You just better hope you're lucky enough to get one made on Wednesday
On Thursday the weekend is in sight
And they're in a hurry and they don't do nothing right
Friday is the worst day of the week that's the day they make lemons dogs and freaks
If your car was made on Friday friend you'll soon be in the creek
Cause it's payday and the loafin' has begun
Lord them Friday cars just hope you don't get one
Monday Tuesday Thursday and Friday
Are all bad days and the only try day is Wednesday
And my car was made on Wednesday on Wednesday
If your car wasn't made on Wednesday I'd advise you not to even leave home any
There's a police car behind us man
So
He's right behind us
So what
Is he lookin' at us do you think he saw me
Hey relax he turned off what's all the fuss about
What would the Phoenix police of you anyway she's really crazy man
She may be worse than crazy
What's with you cowgirl you stole a pinball machine or somethin'
Don't be funny I never stole nothin' I killed my own man
Ah let me see now the bus station ought to be straigh ahead downtown
Where you can probably get out
Oh please don't make get out
You say you killed somebody
I had to man please don't turn me in
There's a bus station right over there boy we sure can pick 'em
He treated me like dirt I loved him lived with him all that time
I was true to him I tried to warn him he just laughed at me
In this song, Johnny Cash comments on the different attitudes that people have towards work and the days of the week. He uses the example of car manufacturing, describing how the workers start off feeling sluggish after the weekend, pick up momentum on Wednesday, and then rush to finish on Friday, resulting in inferior products. The lyrics suggest that if you want to buy a good car, you should aim for one that was made on Wednesday. The song also includes a conversation between two people, one of whom has killed her partner and is on the run from the police.
The lyrics are a commentary on the nature of work and productivity, suggesting that people have a natural rhythm that corresponds to the days of the week. Johnny Cash seems to be saying that Wednesday is the sweet spot, when people have recovered from their weekend hangovers and are ready to put in some solid work. He also implies that there is a correlation between how well people work and the quality of the products they produce.
The conversation that takes place in the middle of the song is somewhat jarring and adds an element of danger to the narrative. It suggests that the world Johnny Cash is describing is not a safe or stable one, where people can easily slip into committing crimes or acting irrationally.
Line by Line Meaning
The assembly line is runnin' slow on Monday
The production process is slow on a Monday
They've been livin' it up and layin' up Saturday and Sunday
The workers have been enjoying their weekend and not working
On Tuesday they're about to come around
On Tuesday, the workers are starting to recover from their weekend
But they still feel bad and they're kinda down
Despite their recovery, they still feel the effects of their weekend
And mad cause they've got four more day before the weekend rolls around
They are upset because they still have four more workdays before their next weekend
On Wednesday they're feelin' fine again
By Wednesday, the workers have recovered and feel good again
And they're workin' like a dog and diggin' in
They are working hard and putting in a lot of effort
Tryin' to do everything they should puttin' 'em cars together good
They are making sure they are building the cars correctly
And I got me a car that was made on Wednesday on Wednesday
The singer has a car that was built on a Wednesday
If you're gonna boy yourself a new car
If you're going to buy yourself a new car
You just better hope you're lucky enough to get one made on Wednesday
It is best to hope that the car you get is built on a Wednesday
On Thursday the weekend is in sight
By Thursday, the workers can see their upcoming weekend
And they're in a hurry and they don't do nothing right
On Thursday, the workers are in a rush and make mistakes
Friday is the worst day of the week that's the day they make lemons dogs and freaks
Fridays are the worst day to build cars, and the resulting cars are poor quality
If your car was made on Friday friend you'll soon be in the creek
If your car is built on a Friday, it is likely to have issues and break down soon
Cause it's payday and the loafin' has begun
On payday, the workers slack off and do not work as hard
Lord them Friday cars just hope you don't get one
It is best to avoid cars that are built on Fridays
Monday Tuesday Thursday and Friday
These are all difficult days for workers building cars
Are all bad days and the only try day is Wednesday
Only Wednesdays are good days to build cars
There's a police car behind us man
The singer notices a police car is following them
He's right behind us
The police car is directly behind them
So what
The singer is not concerned by the police car's presence
Is he lookin' at us do you think he saw me
The singer is worried that the police saw them
Hey relax he turned off what's all the fuss about
The police car has turned off and there is no reason to worry
What would the Phoenix police of you anyway she's really crazy man
The singer is questioning what the police might want from them and is commenting on the passenger's behavior
She may be worse than crazy
The passenger may have serious issues or troubles
What's with you cowgirl you stole a pinball machine or somethin'
The driver is asking the passenger why she is acting so strangely or suspiciously
Don't be funny I never stole nothin' I killed my own man
The passenger admits to having killed someone in the past
Ah let me see now the bus station ought to be straigh ahead downtown
The driver is giving directions to the passenger for a nearby bus station
Where you can probably get out
The driver is suggesting that the passenger gets out of the car at the bus station
Oh please don't make get out
The passenger is pleading with the driver to not kick her out of the car
You say you killed somebody
The driver is confirming what the passenger previously said about killing someone
I had to man please don't turn me in
The passenger is asking the driver to not call the police on her even though she confessed to murder
There's a bus station right over there boy we sure can pick 'em
The driver is expressing his disbelief and annoyance that he has picked up a murderer
He treated me like dirt I loved him lived with him all that time
The passenger is explaining why she killed the person, citing their mistreatment towards her
I was true to him I tried to warn him he just laughed at me
The passenger attempted to warn the person she killed, but they did not take her seriously
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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