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.
Blue Suede Shoes
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Three to get ready, now go cat go.
But don't you, step on my blue suede shoes.
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes
You can knock me down, step in my face
Slander my name all over the place.
And do anything that you want to do
And don't you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes.
Oh let's go cats!
You can burn my house, steal my car
Drink my liquor from an old fruit jar
Do anything that you want to do
But uh uh honey lay off of them shoes
And don't you, step on my blue suede shoes.
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes.
Rock!
Well it's one for the money, two for the show
Three to get ready, now go cat go
But don't you, step on my blue suede shoes.
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes.
Well it's blue, blue, blue suede shoes
Blue, blue, blue suede shoes yeah!
Blue, blue, blue suede shoes baby
Blue, blue, blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes.
The lyrics to Johnny Cash's song, Blue Suede Shoes, can be interpreted as a warning to those who may want to harm or take advantage of him. The song is about a man who warns others not to mess with his prized possession, his blue suede shoes. The opening lines, "Well it's one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, now go cat go," suggest that he is getting ready for a performance, and the following lines serve as a warning to anyone who may want to harm him or his belongings.
The lyrics are a clever play on words, as the blue suede shoes represent more than just a material possession. They are a symbol of the man's status and reputation. The lines "You can knock me down, step in my face, slander my name all over the place. And do anything that you want to do, But uh uh honey lay off of my shoes," show that he understands that people may try to bring him down, but as long as they don't touch his shoes, he still has something to hold onto.
The song ends with a repetition of the opening lines, emphasizing the importance of the blue suede shoes and the warning to those who may try to damage them. Overall, the song is a classic example of Johnny Cash's storytelling and songwriting abilities.
Line by Line Meaning
Well it's one for the money, two for the show
The singer is about to put on a performance, and he's calling attention to the importance of his act.
Three to get ready, now go cat go.
The performer is now telling the audience to get ready, and then go ahead and enjoy the show.
But don't you, step on my blue suede shoes.
The singer has a valuable pair of shoes that he cherishes, and he wants to make sure that nobody damages them.
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes
Although the performer wants people to enjoy themselves, he is making it clear that his shoes are off limits.
You can knock me down, step in my face
Even if someone is trying to be physically aggressive towards the performer, he won't be bothered, as long as they don't touch his shoes.
Slander my name all over the place.
Even if people are saying negative or untrue things about the performer, he still won't pay attention to it, as long as they don't mess with his shoes.
And do anything that you want to do
The performer is maintaining that he's unbothered by others' actions, and is allowing them to be free and do what they want.
But uh uh honey lay off of my shoes.
But the shoes are still off limits, no matter what.
You can burn my house, steal my car
The performer is pushing the limits of what someone can do to him, reminding them that even if he faced extreme misfortune, as long as they don't harm the shoes, he's unbothered.
Drink my liquor from an old fruit jar
People can even consume the performer's personal belongings, but he still won't get upset, as long as his shoes are left alone.
But uh uh honey lay off of them shoes
Still, while the singer may tolerate some things, the shoes are non-negotiable.
And don't you, step on my blue suede shoes.
The repetition is meant to reinforce the importance of protecting the shoes, again begging people not to touch them.
Well it's blue, blue, blue suede shoes
We're reminded of the identity of the specific shoes that are causing such a fuss - they're blue suede shoes.
Blue, blue, blue suede shoes yeah!
Reiterating that these shoes are not just any shoes, but specifically blue suede.
Blue, blue, blue suede shoes baby
Blue suede shoes are likely to elicit a lot of attention, considering their rarity and value, and the singer is playing into that hype.
Blue, blue, blue suede shoes
Just a final reminder of what all the fuss is about.
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes.
Summing up the performer's plea to the audience - they're free to do anything except for touch those precious shoes.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Carl Perkins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@armandop9082
Look how far music has fallen from this era of greats , Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash immortals for all time.
@padraickennedy1232
The King of Rockabilly.
@kroakie4
He’s my favorite rock-a-billy artist.
@mackenziepuetz-bateman919
Oh my god Johnny at the end is unbelievable😵
@kroakie4
Johnny could have sung the abc’s and still sounded damn amazing.
@maireadpower6475
This is what you call music.. pure songwriters and the songs meant something.. the songs they write today is bullshit compared to what they wrote in the 50,s and 60s..it was true lyrics..I wish I grew up in their time.. but I'll never forget them true artist's.. NEVER 🇨🇮🇨🇮
@jipmart4691
Yes, what they call ' rock ', nowadays, is pure crap !!!!!!!!!!!!!
@maireadpower6475
@jip mart you're so right.. this is pure rock, rockabilly whatever you wanna call it, it's pure artists showing their hearts their souls and genuine music, these artists wrote and produced their song's from scratch.. They are LEGENDS love from Ireland 💚💚🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪
@jipmart4691
Never understood why Elvis Presley became a living God and Carl Perkins remains nearly unknown by most people. Carl Perkins was probably the best Rock& n' Roll star who ever lived !!!!
@joshdunstan
Ive been reading johnny cashs biography and he talks about how just as carl perkins was becoming a big name and really rising up he had a terrible car accident which unfortunately derailed him from superstardom like elvis