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.
Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the bread line of your dreams I lost my place
At the table of your love I got the brush off
At the Indianapolis of your heart I lost the race
I've been washed down the sink of your conscience
In the theater of your love I lost my part
And now you say you've got me out of your conscience
In the garbage disposal of you dreams I've been ground up dear
On the river of your plans I'm up the creek
Up the elevator of your future I've been shafted
On the calendar of your events I'm last week
I've been washed down the sink of your conscience
In the theater of your love I lost my part
And now you say you've got me out of your conscience
I've been flushed from the bathroom of your heart
The lyrics to Johnny Cash’s “Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart” employ a series of metaphors to describe the singer’s sense of being cast off and thrown away by a former lover. The opening images of being swept out of the backdoor of someone’s life and lost in the bread line of their dreams suggest a sense of being discarded in a way that is both casual and cruel - as though the ex-lover is indifferent to the singer’s suffering. Similarly, lines like “at the table of your love I got the brush off” and “on the river of your plans I’m up the creek” employ clever wordplay to convey the singer’s sense of being rejected and stranded in a way that is both funny and poignant.
Overall, the lyrics to “Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart” speak to universal experiences of heartbreak and rejection, while also demonstrating the unique power of Johnny Cash’s knack for storytelling and wordplay. By using vivid metaphors and smart wordplay, Cash creates a world in which even the most painful experiences can be made into something that is both powerful and memorable.
Line by Line Meaning
From the backdoor of your life you swept me out dear
You abruptly kicked me out of your life without any notice or explanation
In the bread line of your dreams I lost my place
You didn't support my dreams or aspirations, and I ended up feeling lost and unsupported
At the table of your love I got the brush off
I tried to receive your love, but you rejected me and pushed me away
At the Indianapolis of your heart I lost the race
You didn't give me a chance to win your heart, and I lost out to someone else
I've been washed down the sink of your conscience
You've completely forgotten about me and my feelings, and I've been completely disregarded
In the theater of your love I lost my part
You took away the role I played in your life or relationship, and I was left with nothing
And now you say you've got me out of your conscience
You claim to have moved on from me and no longer think about me or feel guilty for what you did
I've been flushed from the bathroom of your heart
You've completely removed me from your heart and mind, with no trace of me left whatsoever
In the garbage disposal of you dreams I've been ground up dear
You treated my dreams and aspirations as if they were worthless or insignificant, and crushed them
On the river of your plans I'm up the creek
You abandoned me or left me behind when it came to your future plans, and I was left lost and without direction
Up the elevator of your future I've been shafted
You made plans for your future without considering me or my involvement, leaving me behind and without options
On the calendar of your events I'm last week
You've moved on to new things and forgotten about me and our past, leaving me behind in old memories
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JACK CLEMENT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lori Pittman
Thank you so much for posting this! My parents introduced me to Johnny Cash and this album when I was a kid. I loved it. I haven't heard it since. Both my parent's are now gone and so is he. I love his music, an icon is so missed. This song brings back childhood times with parents and a great artist that will always be missed. Thanks again.
uglymoon78
Great lyrics, great rendition, great concert! I borrowed a cassette with this concert from a pal at school when I was 13, I'm now 50 and still a fan of old JC
highwireman
one word: genius. actually two; hilarious and genius.
April Marie
JOHNNY CASH IS AN F'N LEGEND! R.I.P.
Cliff Bailey
Wonderful song.
aokspage
love it
absurd6
best song ever
leeperryismerry
*repeats for third time*
Kevin Chon
ha love this song
Ryan Mann
Thanks for the muffin.