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.
Flowers on the Wall
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All that thought you're givin' me is conscience I guess
If I were walkin' in your shoes, I wouldn't worry none
While you and your friends are worried about me I'm havin' lots of fun
Countin' flowers on the wall
That don't bother me at all
Playin' solitaire till dawn
Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo
Now don't tell me
I've nothin' to do
Last night I dressed in tails, pretended I was on the town
As long as I can dream it's hard to slow this swinger down
So please don't give a thought to me, I'm really doin' fine
You can always find me here, I'm havin' quite a time
Countin' flowers on the wall
That don't bother me at all
Playin' solitaire till dawn
With a deck of fifty-one
Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo
Now don't tell me
I've nothin' to do
It's good to see you, I must go, I know I look a fright
Anyway my eyes are not accustomed to this light
And my shoes are not accustomed to this hard concrete
So I must go back to my room and make my day complete
Countin' flowers on the wall
That don't bother me at all
Playin' solitaire till dawn
With a deck of fifty-one
Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo
Now don't tell me
I've nothin' to do
Don't tell me
I've nothin' to do
Ladies and gentlemen, the Statler Brothers
Don, Harold, Phil and Lew, the Statler Brothers
At first glance, Johnny Cash's song "Flowers on the Wall" appears to be a lighthearted, simple tune, but upon closer examination, the lyrics reveal a more complex and melancholy story. The singer of the song is telling someone who is supposedly concerned about his happiness that he is doing just fine, and in fact, their concern is causing him more discomfort than anything else. He sarcastically suggests that he wouldn't worry either if he were in their shoes, as he is "having lots of fun" while they are worrying about him. The chorus stands out as a kind of mantra for the singer, who claims that he is content to count flowers on the wall, play solitaire, smoke cigarettes, and watch Captain Kangaroo. He emphasizes that this is his choice, and therefore, he wants no sympathy or concern from others.
The second verse of the song takes a more surreal turn, as the singer describes how he dressed up in tails and pretended to be out on the town. This is a clear indication that he is not actually out having fun, but is instead trapped in his own imagination. The line "As long as I can dream it's hard to slow this swinger down" further emphasizes his underlying sadness and loneliness. The final verse puts an even sadder spin on the situation, as the singer admits that he looks like a "fright" and that his shoes are not accustomed to "hard concrete." He seems to be suggesting that he is homeless, or at least he is living in a bleak and uncomfortable environment. Overall, "Flowers on the Wall" is a haunting reminder of how our own perceptions and attitudes can shape our reality, and how sometimes we need help from others to see things in a different light.
Line by Line Meaning
I keep hearin' you're concerned about my happiness
You seem to be worried about me being happy, but your concern just makes me feel guilty.
But all that thought you're givin' me is conscience I guess
All the attention you're giving me is just making me feel like I should be doing something else.
If I was walkin' in your shoes, I wouldn't worry none
If I were in your position, I wouldn't be worrying about me since I'm not worried about myself.
While you 'n' your friends are worried about me I'm havin' lots of fun
You and your friends are concerned about me, but I'm actually enjoying myself without any problems.
Countin' flowers on the wall
I'm so bored that I'm literally counting flowers on the wallpaper.
That don't bother me at all
But it doesn't really matter to me.
Playin' solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one
I'm so bored that I'm playing solitaire until sunrise with an incomplete deck of cards.
Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo
I'm so bored that I'm killing time by smoking and watching a children's TV show.
Now don't tell me I've nothin' to do
Please don't remind me that I have no activities or purpose.
Last night I dressed in tails, pretended I was on the town
I was so bored that I dressed up formally and pretended to be outside socializing.
As long as I can dream it's hard to slow this swinger down
As long as I have the mental capacity to dream, I won't stop being active and free-spirited.
So please don't give a thought to me, I'm really doin' fine
Please don't concern yourself with me, I'm actually doing well without any obligations.
You can always find me here, I'm havin' quite a time
I'll always be here doing nothing, but I'm really enjoying my free time.
It's good to see you, I must go, I know I look a fright
It's nice to see you, but I have to leave now even though I probably look unappealing.
Anyway my eyes are not accustomed to this light
My eyes are not used to the brightness of the sunlight outside.
And my shoes are not accustomed to this hard concrete
My shoes are not used to walking on the hard concrete ground outside.
So I must go back to my room and make my day complete
So I have to return to my room to continue idling in order to feel a sense of accomplishment for the day.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lewis Dewitt
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