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.
Dont Think Twice
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you don't know by now
An' it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, baby
It'll never do anyhow
When your rooster's a-crowin' at the break of dawn
Look out your window and I'll be gone
You're the reason why I'm travelin' on
But don't think twice, it's alright
And it ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
The light I never knowed
An' it ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
I'm on the dark side of the road
But I wish there was somethin' I could do or say
To try and make you change your mind and stay
We never did too much talkin' anyway
But don't think twice, it's alright
Well, it ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
Like you never done before
It ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
I can't hear you any more
I'm a-thinkin' and a-wonderin', walkin' down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I'm told
I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don't think twice, it's alright
So long, honey baby
Where I'm bound, I cannot tell
But goodbye's too good a word, gal
So I'll just kind of say fare thee well
Now, I'm not sayin' you treated me unkind
You coulda done a lot better but I don't mind
You just kinda wasted my precious time
But don't think twice, it's alright
In Johnny Cash’s song, “Don’t Think Twice”, the singer seems to be saying goodbye to a lover who has treated him poorly. The lyrics start off with the acknowledgment that it's useless for the lover to sit and wonder why the singer is leaving. The rooster is crowing, and it's time for the singer to hit the road. He acknowledges that he is leaving for the lover's actions but tells her, “Don’t think twice, it's all right.” He doesn't want her to ruminate about it because he has already made his decision. He acknowledges wandering in the darkness, pondering his heartbreaks and lost love, and how he once loved a woman who was after his soul, but he still leaves and doesn’t want the lover to call his name or regret their past.
“Don’t Think Twice” is about moving on without regrets. Despite the heartbreak, the singer has resolved to move on and not look back, even though he still reminisces about the past. This song is a reflection of how painful it can be to let go of someone you once loved, but it is essential to do so to move on with life.
Line by Line Meaning
Well it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It doesn't make sense to ponder about the reasons behind our separation, my dear
If you don't know by now
You should already have the answers to your questions
An' it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, baby
It's pointless to keep questioning our situation, my love
It'll never do anywhow
It won't lead to any benefit
When your rooster's a-crowin' at the break of dawn
As the morning arrives and your rooster crows
Look out your window and I'll be gone
I'll already be out of your reach, far from your sight
You're the reason why I'm trav'lin' on
I'm leaving because of you, my dear
But don't think twice, it's all right
Please don't feel bad or regretful, everything is going to be okay
And it ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
You don't need to turn on your light, my love
The light I never knowed
I don't recognize that light
An' it ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
Turning on the light won't change anything, my dear
I'm on the dark side of the road
I'm traveling in the direction of darkness
But I wish there was somethin' I could do or say
I wish I could do something to change our situation
To try and make you change your mind and stay
I want you to reconsider and stay with me
We never did too much talkin' anyway
We never spoke much with each other, anyways
But don't think twice, it's all right
There's no need to worry, everything is going to be alright
Well, it ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
You don't need to call out my name, my dear
Like you never done before
As you have calling out to me without any response
It ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
It won't make any difference if you call out to me
I can't hear you any more
I can't hear you, my love
I'm a-thinkin' and a-wond'rin', walkin' down the road
As I walk down the road, I'm lost in thought and wonder
I once loved a woman, a child I'm told
Once, I loved a woman when I was just a boy
I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul
I gave her all my love, but she yearned for much more
But don't think twice, it's all right
Please don't remorse, everything is okay
So long, honey baby
Goodbye, my dear
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
I don't know where I'm headed
But goodbye's too good a word, gal
Goodbye is too strong of a word, my love
So I'll just kind of say fare thee well
So, I'll just say farewell lightly
Now, I'm not sayin' you treated me unkind
I'm not saying that you were cruel to me, my dear
You could have done better but I don't mind
Maybe you could have done better, but I don't hold it against you
You just kinda wasted my precious time
You just wasted my valuable time
But don't think twice, it's all right
It's okay, please don't worry
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
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