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.
Chain Gang
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A man walked up and said come with me you're broke and son that's vagrancy
I carefree lad that love to roam but Lord I wish I'd stayed at home
The way it looks I'll probably hang cause there ain't no hope on a chain gang
I dig that ditch I chop that corn I curse the day that I was born
I believe it's better for a man to hang than to work like a dog on a chain gang
The guard stands there with a great big gun I bet he'd love to see me run
He's well fed and he's six foot tall and he's a meanest of them all
He cracks that whip and he swings that cane the sun must've touched his brain
I dig that ditch...
I got a gal back home that's sweet and kind and she's been waitin' a long long time
I just told her to forget my name I won't ever live down to shame
Lord deliver me from this hole before I lose my mind and soul
The place gets weak and the back gets broke ain't no cause to laugh and joke
I dig that ditch...
Work like a dog on a chain gang work like a dog on a chain gang
Johnny Cash's song "Chain Gang" tells a story of a young man who has been arrested for vagrancy and is now working on a chain gang. He regrets leaving his home and wishes he had never roamed around town. The young man talks about the guard who stands there with a gun, waiting for him to make a run. He also sees the other prisoners working hard, digging ditches and chopping corn. The young man believes that it would be better to be hanged than to continue working on the chain gang. He also talks about his girlfriend back home who has been waiting for him and how he tells her to forget his name and not live with the shame of his imprisonment.
The song is an accurate portrayal of the harsh reality of chain gangs in America. The use of chain gangs was common in the southern United States in the late 19th to mid-20th century. Prisoners were forced to work hard labor for many hours daily, often in the hot sun with little to no rest. The practice was abolished in the mid-1950s, but the legacy of chain gangs continues to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
I was just a kid roamin' around travelin' through a little ol' town
I was a young traveler wandering in a small town
A man walked up and said come with me you're broke and son that's vagrancy
I was approached by a man who accused me of vagrancy because I was penniless
I carefree lad that love to roam but Lord I wish I'd stayed at home
I was carefree and enjoy exploring new places, but now I regret not staying home
The way it looks I'll probably hang cause there ain't no hope on a chain gang
I'm afraid I'll die on this chain gang because there is no hope for me here
I dig that ditch I chop that corn I curse the day that I was born
I do backbreaking labor, and I curse the day I was born because of it
I believe it's better for a man to hang than to work like a dog on a chain gang
I think it's better to die than to suffer endlessly on a chain gang
The guard stands there with a great big gun I bet he'd love to see me run
The guard is armed and probably wants to catch me trying to escape
And I guess I probably will some day I'd rather be dead than to live this way
I know I'll try to escape someday because I'd rather die than continue living like this
He's well fed and he's six foot tall and he's a meanest of them all
The guard is well-fed, tall, and the cruelest person here
He cracks that whip and he swings that cane the sun must've touched his brain
The guard beats us with a whip and a cane, and he must be insane to enjoy it
I got a gal back home that's sweet and kind and she's been waitin' a long long time
I have a kind and loving girlfriend waiting for me at home
I just told her to forget my name I won't ever live down to shame
I told her to forget me because I can't live with the shame of being a prisoner
Lord deliver me from this hole before I lose my mind and soul
I pray to God to get me out of this place before I lose my sanity and spirit
The place gets weak and the back gets broke ain't no cause to laugh and joke
This place weakens us and breaks our spirit, so there's nothing to laugh about
Work like a dog on a chain gang work like a dog on a chain gang
We work endlessly like dogs on a chain gang
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HOWARD
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