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.
FOOLISH QUESTIONS
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some person will ask a foolish question and expect a sensible reply
Like when you take your girl some candy, say maybe just after tea
You notice how she'll grab it and then she'll say, "Is this for me?"
Foolish Questions! You can answer when you can
"No I bought this candy for your Ma or Pa, or for John the hired hand
"I just thought you'd like to see it. Now I'm gonna take it away"
And then most every morning, there is someone 'round the place
Who sees you take the shaving brush and lather up your face
And as you give the razor a preliminary wave
This fool will walk up and ask you, "Are you gonna take a shave?"
Foolish questions! Your answer is, I hope
"No! I ain't prepared for shavin', I just like the taste of soap!
I kinda like to take the shaving brush and paint myself this way"
Now wasn't that a foolish question? You'll hear 'em ev'ry day!
Now then there's this fella who meets you on your way
And asks you why your all dressed up and listens while you say
That you just been returning from the funeral of poor old Uncle Ned
As soon as you have told him, he will say, "Is Ned dead?"
Foolish questions! You might as well reply
"No, he thought he'd have the funeral now. Then later on he'd die
You know Ned was always so original, he wanted it that way"
Now wasn't that a Foolish Question? You'll hear 'em ev'ry day!
Now suppose the elevator guy should forget to close the door
And you should tumble down, oh say forty-seven floors
And when you reach the bottom and you're lying there inert
Some fool will stick his head down the shaft and holler, "Are you hurt?"
Foolish Questions! Your dying words are
"No! I was in an awful hurry and that elevator's just too slow
Usually saves a lot of time, you know, comin' down this way"
Now wasn't that a Foolish Question? You'll hear 'em ev'ry day!
That was a Foolish Question! You'll hear 'em ev'ry day!
In Johnny Cash's song "Foolish Questions," he takes aim at the nonsensical and often frustrating questions people ask on a regular basis. Cash describes scenarios where someone will ask a question that seems obvious or pointless, expecting an answer that's equally absurd. For example, when you offer your girlfriend some candy, she might grab it and ask if it's for her. Cash suggests responding by saying you bought it for someone else, or that you'll take it away if she doesn't appreciate it. Similarly, when you're shaving in the morning and someone asks if you're going to take a shave, Cash recommends responding with a witty comment about liking the taste of soap.
Cash goes on to describe other scenarios where people ask pointless questions, such as a man asking why you're dressed up after returning from a funeral, or someone asking if you're hurt after falling down an elevator shaft. The tone of Cash's song is humorous, but there's also a sense of exasperation and annoyance at the constant barrage of foolish questions.
Overall, "Foolish Questions" is a lighthearted but relatable commentary on the ways in which people can be maddeningly illogical and thoughtless in their interactions with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Now you've all heard foolish questions and no doubt you've wondered why
You must have listened to people asking ridiculous questions and wondered why they do that
Some person will ask a foolish question and expect a sensible reply
Someone might ask a foolish question and expect a reasonable answer
Like when you take your girl some candy, say maybe just after tea
You notice how she'll grab it and then she'll say, "Is this for me?"
For example, when you give candy to your girlfriend, maybe after drinking tea, she'll take it and ask, "Is this just for me?"
Foolish Questions! You can answer when you can
"No I bought this candy for your Ma or Pa, or for John the hired hand
"I just thought you'd like to see it. Now I'm gonna take it away"
Now wasn't that a foolish question? You'll hear 'em ev'ry day
You might choose to respond to these inquiries when they arise with an answer like, "No, I bought this candy for your parents, or for John the worker. Just wanted you to look at it. Now I'm going to take it away." And then you'll realize that these foolish questions are just part of everyday life.
And then most every morning, there is someone 'round the place
Who sees you take the shaving brush and lather up your face
And as you give the razor a preliminary wave
This fool will walk up and ask you, "Are you gonna take a shave?"
In the morning, someone always seems to be around when you're putting shaving cream on your face, and they'll ask, "Are you going to shave?", as you make your first razor stroke.
Foolish questions! Your answer is, I hope
"No! I ain't prepared for shavin', I just like the taste of soap!
I kinda like to take the shaving brush and paint myself this way"
Now wasn't that a foolish question? You'll hear 'em ev'ry day!
Maybe you can respond with something like, "No, I haven't really planned on shaving today. I just like the taste of soap! I like putting shaving cream on my face, though." And what do you know, these foolish questions come up all the time.
Now then there's this fella who meets you on your way
And asks you why your all dressed up and listens while you say
That you just been returning from the funeral of poor old Uncle Ned
As soon as you have told him, he will say, "Is Ned dead?"
Imagine someone stops you on the street and asks why you're dressed up. You tell them you're just coming back from Uncle Ned's funeral. And what do they ask? "Is Ned dead?"
Foolish questions! You might as well reply
"No, he thought he'd have the funeral now. Then later on he'd die
You know Ned was always so original, he wanted it that way"
Now wasn't that a Foolish Question? You'll hear 'em ev'ry day!
You might feel inclined to respond with something like, "No, he wanted to have the funeral now, and die later. You know how unique Ned was - he wanted it done that way." And, of course, you'll hear these foolish questions all the time.
Now suppose the elevator guy should forget to close the door
And you should tumble down, oh say forty-seven floors
And when you reach the bottom and you're lying there inert
Some fool will stick his head down the shaft and holler, "Are you hurt?"
Here's a hypothetical scenario: Let's say the elevator guy forgets to close the door, and you fall 47 floors down. As you lay there motionless on the ground, some idiot sticks his head in the elevator shaft and asks, "Did that hurt?"
Foolish Questions! Your dying words are
"No! I was in an awful hurry and that elevator's just too slow
Usually saves a lot of time, you know, comin' down this way"
Now wasn't that a Foolish Question? You'll hear 'em ev'ry day!
You might even respond to this head-scratching question with something like, "No, I was just in a hurry, and that elevator takes too long. Usually, it's a quicker way down, you know." And, yes, these foolish questions seem to pop up all the time.
That was a Foolish Question! You'll hear 'em ev'ry day!
In summary, these foolish questions are asked day in and day out.
Contributed by Zoe H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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