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.
Country Boy
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Country boy, ain't got no blues
Well, you work all day while you're wantin' to play
In the sun and the sand, with the faces tanned
But at the end of the day, when your work is done
You ain't got nothing but fun
Country boy, ain't got no ills
You get a wiggly worm and then you watch him squirm
While you put him on a hook and you drop him in a brook
And if everything's gonna turn out right, you're gonna fry fish tonight
Country boy, you're luck, free
Country boy, I wish I was you, and you was me
Country boy, you got work to do
Country boy, in the mornin' dew
You gotta cut the weeds, you gotta plant the seed
There's many a row you know you gotta hoe
But when it's quittin' time, and your work is through
There's a lot of life in you
Country boy, got a shaggy dog
Country boy, up a hollow log
Well, he comes in a run, when you pick up your gun
And with a shell or two, and your dog and you
When you get your rabbit, you'll skin his hide
He's gonna be good fried
Country boy, you got a lot to lose
Country boy, how I wish I was in your shoes
As the title suggests, Johnny Cash's song "Country Boy" is about a free-spirited, carefree individual who lives a simple life in the countryside. The lyrics describe how the country boy lives his life without any worries, responsibilities, or burdens. The song portrays how he enjoys his work and plays hard when he is off-duty. The first verse describes how the country boy works hard all day long, but when the work is done, he has nothing but fun. He spends his leisure time in the sun and sand, hunting, and fishing. He doesn't worry about anything but enjoying his time.
The second verse highlights how he doesn't have any bills to pay or any problems that worry him. He goes fishing, and if he catches enough, he has food for dinner. He enjoys simple pleasures that don't cost a lot of money. The third verse describes how he wakes up early in the morning to start his daily chores, but he doesn't mind because he loves being close to nature. He works hard, but at the end of the day, he feels alive. The final verse describes how he has a shaggy dog and goes hunting for rabbits with his gun. He doesn't waste anything; everything he catches, he either eats or uses. The song portrays how the country boy is content and happy with his life.
Line by Line Meaning
Country boy, ain't got no shoes
The country boy is simple and doesn't need material things to feel complete.
Country boy, ain't got no blues
The country boy is happy and content with his simple lifestyle.
Well, you work all day while you're wantin' to play
The country boy works hard but always looks forward to having fun.
In the sun and the sand, with the faces tanned
The country boy enjoys the outdoors and getting a tan.
But at the end of the day, when your work is done
The country boy is always rewarded for his hard work.
You ain't got nothing but fun
The country boy's idea of reward is having fun with his family and friends.
Country boy, ain't got no ills
The country boy is healthy and free from worries.
Country boy, you don't owe no bills
The country boy lives a simple, debt-free life.
You get a wiggly worm and then you watch him squirm
The country boy enjoys fishing and the thrill of catching something.
While you put him on a hook and you drop him in a brook
The country boy knows how to fish and enjoys the process.
And if everything's gonna turn out right, you're gonna fry fish tonight
The country boy knows how to prepare his catch and enjoys eating it.
Country boy, you're luck, free
The country boy feels lucky to have a simple, enjoyable life.
Country boy, I wish I was you, and you was me
The singer admires the country boy's simple, carefree life.
Country boy, you got work to do
The country boy knows the value of hard work and is willing to work.
Country boy, in the mornin' dew
The country boy starts his workday early in the morning.
You gotta cut the weeds, you gotta plant the seed
The country boy is a farmer and knows the importance of hard work to grow crops.
There's many a row you know you gotta hoe
The country boy works hard to tend to his crops and to make a living.
But when it's quittin' time, and your work is through
The country boy knows how to enjoy his free time after a hard day's work.
There's a lot of life in you
The country boy has a lot of energy and likes to enjoy life.
Country boy, got a shaggy dog
The country boy has a pet dog, which is a good companion for him.
Country boy, up a hollow log
The country boy knows the area well and knows where to find game.
Well, he comes in a run, when you pick up your gun
The country boy knows how to hunt and his dog is trained to help him.
And with a shell or two, and your dog and you
The country boy has a simple approach to hunting, just him and his dog.
When you get your rabbit, you'll skin his hide
The country boy knows how to prepare game for eating.
He's gonna be good fried
The country boy enjoys cooking and knows how to prepare delicious food with his catch.
Country boy, you got a lot to lose
The country boy values his simple life and could lose it if he changed his ways.
Country boy, how I wish I was in your shoes
The singer envies the country boy's easy, fulfilling life and wishes for the same.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny R. Cash
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