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.
Cisco Clifton
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
About a mile and a half from town
Most cars passed unless they were out of gas
So Cisco was always around
Regular gas was all that it sold
Except tobacco matches and oil
Other than that he fixed lots of flats
He'd wipe the gas and check the air
In a hundred times a day
He patiently gave directions
On how to get to the state highway
Usually he'd give 'em water
Or a tyre or two some air
And once a big black Cadillac
Spent seven dollars there
He'd give anybody anything they'd ask
And lend anything he had
His tools are tyres bumper jacks or wire
To the good ones or the bad
In wintertime there was a depot stove
And a table for a checker game
And every mornin' at sunup
The same checker players came
So Cisco Clifton's fillin' station
Was always in the red
Personal loans were personally gone
But never a word was said
One mornin' at eight, them checker players
Heard a big bulldozer roar like a freight
And Cisco said I hope my kids stay fed
When they build that Interstate
He'd managed to pay for property
Where his little fillin' station sat
And friends still came for checker game
So Cisco settled for that
He wouldn't say so but Cisco knew
That the Interstate was too much to fight
But to keep his will and to pay his bills
He did odd jobs at night
He still opened up at sunrise
And the checker game went on
The cars flew past on highest gas
And the neighbors had sold out and gone
If a car ever did go by he was lost
And if they stopped they were treated the same
So at Cisco Clifton's fillin' station
There's a howdy and a checker game
Johnny Cash's song Cisco Clifton's Fillin' Station tells the story of a man named Cisco Clifton and his small gas station located just outside of town. The gas station was not particularly successful and only sold regular gas, tobacco, matches, and oil. However, Cisco worked hard to keep the place running and often lent out his tools and provided assistance to those in need, whether they were good or bad people. He even had a checker game and stove for his friends and neighbors to gather around in the cold winter months.
Despite the kindness and hard work of Cisco, his little gas station was destined to be torn down when the interstate was built. Cisco could not fight the power of the government, and so he did odd jobs at night to keep things afloat until they came to tear the station down. Despite all of this, he never lost his will and spirit, and his checker game continued to be held every morning at sunrise. The gas station had become a symbol of community and kindness, and even in its demise, the spirit of Cisco and his friends lived on.
Line by Line Meaning
Cisco Clifton had a fillin' station
Cisco Clifton owned and operated a gas station
About a mile and a half from town
The gas station was located approximately 1.5 miles away from the town
Most cars passed unless they were out of gas
Cars only stopped at the station if they were out of gas
So Cisco was always around
Cisco was always present at the gas station
Regular gas was all that it sold
The gas station only sold regular gasoline
Except tobacco matches and oil
The station sold tobacco, matches, and oil in addition to gasoline
Other than that he fixed lots of flats
In addition to selling gas and other items, Cisco also fixed many flat tires
Keepin' Cisco rough hands soiled
Cisco's hands were always dirty and oily from working on tires and cars
He'd wipe the gas and check the air
He would clean the gas nozzles and check tire pressure for customers
In a hundred times a day
He did this many times every day
He patiently gave directions
Cisco was always willing to give directions and help people find the state highway
On how to get to the state highway
Cisco gave directions to customers who needed to find the state highway
Usually he'd give 'em water
Cisco would often give customers water if they needed it
Or a tyre or two some air
He would also help customers fill their tires with air or provide them with a tire if needed
And once a big black Cadillac
A large, black Cadillac once stopped at the gas station
Spent seven dollars there
The driver of the Cadillac spent $7 at the station
He'd give anybody anything they'd ask
Cisco was very generous and would give anyone whatever they asked for
And lend anything he had
He was also willing to lend out anything he had, whether it was tools or tires
His tools are tyres bumper jacks or wire
Cisco was willing to lend out any of his tools, tires, bumper jacks, or wire to anyone who needed them
To the good ones or the bad
He was equally willing to help both good and bad people
In wintertime there was a depot stove
In the winter, there was a stove in the gas station
And a table for a checker game
There was a table where people played checkers
And every mornin' at sunup
Every morning when the sun came up
The same checker players came
The same group of people would come to play checkers every morning
So Cisco Clifton's fillin' station
This is a reference to the gas station owned by Cisco Clifton
Was always in the red
The gas station was never profitable and was always in debt
Personal loans were personally gone
Cisco had to take out personal loans to keep the gas station operating
But never a word was said
Despite the debt, Cisco never talked about it to anyone
One mornin' at eight, them checker players
One morning at 8 o'clock, the checkers players
Heard a big bulldozer roar like a freight
They heard a loud bulldozer sound like a freight train
And Cisco said I hope my kids stay fed
Cisco expressed concern that his children would have enough to eat when the bulldozers came
When they build that Interstate
The bulldozers were coming to build the interstate highway
He'd managed to pay for property
Cisco had managed to pay for the land where his gas station was located
Where his little fillin' station sat
The gas station was located on this property
And friends still came for checker game
Even though the interstate was going to change things, Cisco's friends still came to play checkers at the gas station
So Cisco settled for that
Cisco was content with the fact that he still had his friends to play checkers with
He wouldn't say so but Cisco knew
Cisco never said it out loud, but he knew
That the Interstate was too much to fight
Cisco knew that he couldn't fight against the construction of the interstate highway
But to keep his will and to pay his bills
Despite the overwhelming odds, Cisco continued to work hard to pay his bills
He did odd jobs at night
To make ends meet, Cisco would do odd jobs at night
He still opened up at sunrise
Despite his struggles, Cisco still opened the gas station at sunrise every morning
And the checker game went on
The checkers game continued to be played at the gas station every morning
The cars flew past on highest gas
The cars continued to zoom past the gas station, getting gas elsewhere
And the neighbors had sold out and gone
The other businesses in the area had sold out and left, but Cisco remained
If a car ever did go by he was lost
If a car didn't stop at the gas station, Cisco was at a loss
And if they stopped they were treated the same
If a car did stop at the station, they were treated kindly and with respect
So at Cisco Clifton's fillin' station
Despite everything, Cisco's gas station
There's a howdy and a checker game
Remained a friendly place for people to gather, say hello, and play checkers
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHNNY R. CASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ukkris19
this song is about my friend's great grandfather who died just a few years ago. He was a huge Johnny Cash fan and Johnny came to town and met him. I just thought that was pretty neat haha
Matthew Lepak
Really. That is so cool. Love this SONG! Amen! Jesus Bless you!
Maryann Anderson
This song has been a favorite of mine for years. I bought an album by Johnny Cash that has this song on it and that is the only place I had ever heard it because I have NEVER heard it on the radio. The line in this song that always gets me is "Once a big black Cadillac spent seven dollars there" because this seven-dollar sale was the biggest sale Cisco had ever had. I remember when my dad bought gas, he would get a dollar or two at a time because he simply could not afford to pay the eight dollars or so that it would have cost him to get a fill-up. I very well remember when gasoline went up to 25 CENTS A GALLON and my dad was outraged. He said, "It's getting so a poor man can't afford to drive a car!"
And this song is so true. Just like Wal-Mart put all the little Mom and Pop stores out of business and McDonald's and Burger King and other chain fast-food restaurants put Mom and Pop restaurants out of business, the interstate highway with their chain gas stations at major exits put all the independent gas stations, like the ones owned by Cisco Clifton, out of business. The interstate would cause most cars to miss his station period and even if they got on a back road and came by his place, they would probably wait until they got to some big well-known chain station to get a fill-up.
I am very sad for the loss of the businesses owned by little guys who have been gouged out of business by some big conglomerate who has hundreds of outlets or stores, and they have such volume that the little guys simply cannot compete. "And they call it progress, but I just don't know." (From The Judd's song, "Grandpa")
Rob Dokter
Thanks for reacting on my old channel here. So true indeed.. A bit like the John Prine song 'Paradise' lines: 'They tortured the timber and stripped all the land. Then wrote it all down as the progress of man"..
I covered this true powerful 'Cisco Clifton's filling station' on my first CD.. Should be out here somewhere too. All the best from NL 🎼 Rob Dokter
Myron McCabe
That was quite a song, It is the first and only time I ever heard it but I enjoyed it. Thank you, Johnny Cash!
Matthew Lepak
Beautiful song! People were so hard working, unselfish and kind
Michael-Angelo la Fleur
Good ole Ballard Harris was the last owner of the Cisco station. I use to stop by on the way to Moab in my mountain bikin days. Ballard and his flock of peacocks paved that block top that goes from the bridge out past and around the bend. Ballard Harris outlived five wives...a legend.
Brandt M
he was married twice ;)
Brandt M
My great grandfather was Ballard Harris
SegoMan
We stopped in there a few times on our vacation trips, A lady from Chicago bought the whole town in 2015 and is renovating it one building at a time.