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.
Devil
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I saw my first pistol in the general store
In the general store, when I was thirteen
Thought it was the finest thing I ever had seen
So l asked if I could have one when I grew up
Mama dropped a dozen eggs, she really blew up
She really blew up and I didn't understand
She really blew up and I didn't understand
Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand
The devil's right hand, the devil's right hand
Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand
My very first pistol was a cap and ball Colt
Shoot as fast as lightnin' but it loads a mite slow
Loads a mite slow and i soon found out
It can get you into trouble but it can't get you out
So then I went and bought myself a Colt 45
Called a peacemaker but I never knew why
Never knew why, I didn't understand
Cause Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand
Never knew why, I didn't understand
Cause Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand
The devil's right hand, the devil's right hand
Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand
Well I get into a card game in a company town
Caught a miner cheating I shot the dog down
Shot the dog down, watched the dog fall
Never touched his holster, never had a chance to draw
The trial was in the morning and they drug me out of bed
Asked me how I pleaded, not guilty I said
Not guilty I said, you've got the wrong man
Nothing touched the trigger but the devil's right hand
Not guilty I said, you've got the wrong man
Nothing touched the trigger but the devil's right hand
the devil's right hand, the devil's right hand
Nothing touched the trigger but the devil's right hand
The song "Devil's Right Hand" by Johnny Cash tells the story of a young boy who becomes fascinated with guns and eventually becomes a gun owner himself. He recounts the story of how he saw his first pistol in a general store when he was just thirteen years old and how he thought it was the best thing he had ever seen. He asked his mother if he could have one when he grew up, but her reaction was not what he expected. She dropped a dozen eggs and told him that the pistol was the devil's right hand. The lyrics go on to describe how the boy eventually becomes a gun owner and gets into trouble when he shoots a man's dog during a card game. The next morning, he is arrested for his crime and he insists that he is innocent. However, he knows deep down that he was not in control of his actions and that the gun had a mind of its own.
The song is a cautionary tale about the dangers of gun ownership and the consequences that come with wielding a deadly weapon. The devil's right hand is a metaphor for the gun, which can be seen as a tool of destruction that brings nothing but trouble to those who possess it. The lyrics also touch on themes of innocence, guilt, and personal responsibility. The singer struggles with the fact that he killed a dog and is now accused of murder, and he is forced to confront the reality of his situation.
Line by Line Meaning
About the time that Daddy left to fight the big war
The singer recalls the time when his father went off to war.
I saw my first pistol in the general store
The singer saw a pistol for the first time at the general store.
In the general store, when I was thirteen
It was at the general store when the singer was thirteen.
Thought it was the finest thing I ever had seen
The artist was fascinated by the pistol, thinking it was the best thing he ever laid his eyes on.
So l asked if I could have one when I grew up
The artist expressed his desire to have a pistol when he grows up.
Mama dropped a dozen eggs, she really blew up
The singer's mother was outraged at the thought of her son owning a pistol.
She really blew up and I didn't understand
The singer did not comprehend the reason behind his mother's reaction.
Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand
The mother believes that possessing a pistol is like having the devil's hand.
The devil's right hand, the devil's right hand
The 'devil's right hand' is a metaphor for the pistol.
My very first pistol was a cap and ball Colt
The artist's first pistol was a Colt, which used a cap and ball to fire the weapon.
Shoot as fast as lightnin' but it loads a mite slow
The Colt could fire fast, but it took time to reload.
Loads a mite slow and i soon found out
The artist discovered that the pistol takes time to reload.
It can get you into trouble but it can't get you out
The pistol can get you into dangerous situations but cannot save you from them.
So then I went and bought myself a Colt 45
The singer upgraded to a Colt 45.
Called a peacemaker but I never knew why
The Colt 45 was called a 'peacemaker,' but the singer did not understand why.
Never knew why, I didn't understand
The artist continued not to comprehend the meaning behind the pistol's name.
Cause Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand
The mother's warning about pistols being the devil's hand continues to influence the artist's thinking.
Well I get into a card game in a company town
The singer finds himself in a card game in a new town.
Caught a miner cheating I shot the dog down
The singer shot a miner's dog after catching him cheating in a card game.
Shot the dog down, watched the dog fall
The artist saw the dog fall after shooting it.
Never touched his holster, never had a chance to draw
The artist did not have to defend himself, as the miner did not draw his weapon.
The trial was in the morning and they drug me out of bed
The artist is put on trial the next morning.
Asked me how I pleaded, not guilty I said
The singer pleads not guilty to the charges.
You've got the wrong man
The artist maintains his innocence, insisting that they have the wrong person.
Nothing touched the trigger but the devil's right hand
The singer insists that only the pistol was the cause of the incident.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN F. (FAIN) EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@eraldhysenbelli5719
Lyrics
It was winter time in Nashville, down on music city row.
And I was lookin' for a place to get myself out of the cold.
To warm the frozen feelin' that was eatin' at my soul.
Keep the chilly wind off my guitar.
My thirsty wanted whisky; my hungry needed beans,
But it'd been of month of paydays since I'd heard that eagle scream.
So with a stomach full of empty and a pocket full of dreams,
I left my pride and stepped inside a bar.
Actually, I guess you'd could call it a Tavern:
Cigarette smoke to the ceiling and sawdust on the floor;
Friendly shadows.
I saw that there was just one old man sittin' at the bar.
And in the mirror I could see him checkin' me and my guitar.
An' he turned and said: "Come up here boy, and show us what you are."
I said: "I'm dry." He bought me a beer.
He nodded at my guitar and said: "It's a tough life, ain't it?"
I just looked at him. He said: "You ain't makin' any money, are you?"
I said: "You've been readin' my mail."
He just smiled and said: "Let me see that guitar.
"I've got something you oughta hear."
Then he laid it on me:
"If you waste your time a-talkin' to the people who don't listen,
"To the things that you are sayin', who do you think's gonna hear.
"And if you should die explainin' how the things that they complain about,
"Are things they could be changin', who do you think's gonna care?"
There were other lonely singers in a world turned deaf and blind,
Who were crucified for what they tried to show.
And their voices have been scattered by the swirling winds of time.
'Cause the truth remains that no-one wants to know.
Well, the old man was a stranger, but I'd heard his song before,
Back when failure had me locked out on the wrong side of the door.
When no-one stood behind me but my shadow on the floor,
And lonesome was more than a state of mind.
You see, the devil haunts a hungry man,
If you don't wanna join him, you got to beat him.
I ain't sayin' I beat the devil, but I drank his beer for nothing.
Then I stole his song.
And you still can hear me singin' to the people who don't listen,
To the things that I am sayin', prayin' someone's gonna hear.
And I guess I'll die explaining how the things that they complain about,
Are things they could be changin', hopin' someone's gonna care.
I was born a lonely singer, and I'm bound to die the same,
But I've got to feed the hunger in my soul.
And if I never have a nickle, I won't ever die ashamed.
'Cause I don't believe that no-one wants to know.
:)
@abelearcher
What should I say?
He was my friend!
Since I was born 1962!
Jonny Cash!
My Idol and my Friend since 1962.
He was my brother and I was very lucky to be able to see him!
Jonny Cash, what can I say about you?
You know, it's a good question?
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Okay.🤔
I walk the line with you a d I feel, that you are clouse neer by my side!
I/we miss you, and all fan's this time, when you leaf us!
@thebaconblaster2511
Thank you Johnny Cash for posting from heaven
@Paranormal_Gaming_
Shut up spammer!!!
@Petersmith-il7bs
That's ok, cash me outside killing the devil, how bou dah?
@Saints_ravenfortheRainbow
Jesus and johnny.
Thank you.
This is needed.
@nicholaseliasson2308
Years has passed since his passing. Yet, the words are the words of wisdom.
@matttooker8247
“I ain’t saying I beat the devil, but I drank his beer for nothing… then I stole his song🤷🏻😎”
@wilfredhaggart7657
hes just mad because i bought my yamaha three wheeler from joe
@Saints_ravenfortheRainbow
...Johnny may have been who beat the devil in Georgia...
@bradleymaffit5832
So awesome!
I needed this today!
God bless God for sending us Johnny Cash!
@richardsmith3129
I bought this album when it first came out. Every song is great. Johnny was one of a kind. Miss him a lot. Hope to meet him in the Kingdom.