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.
Get Rhythm
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey, get rhythm when you get the blues
Yes a jumpy rhythm makes you feel so fine
It'll shake all the trouble from your worried mind
Get rhythm when you get the blues
Little shoeshine boy never gets low down
But he's got the dirtiest job in townBendin' low at the peoples' feet
On the windy corner of the dirty street
Well, I asked him while he shined my shoes
How'd he keep from gettin' the blues?
He grinned as he raised his little head
Popped a shoeshine rag and then he said
'Get rhythm, when you get the blues
Hey, get rhythm, when you get the blues
It only costs a dime, just a nickel a shoe
Does a million dollars worth of good for you
Get rhythm, when you get the blues
Hey, get rhythm when you get the blues
Hey, get rhythm when you get the blues
Yes a jumpy rhythm makes you feel so fine
It'll shake all the trouble from your worried mind
Get rhythm when you get the blues'
Well, I sat down to listen to the shoeshine boy
And I thought I was gonna jump for joy
Slapped on the shoe polish left and right
He took a shoeshine rag and he held it tight
He stopped once to wipe the sweat away
I said you're a mighty little boy to be workin' that way
He said 'I like it' with a big wide grin
'Get rhythm when you get the blues
Hey, get rhythm when you get the blues
Get a rock 'n' roll feelin' in your bones
Taps on your toes and get gone
Get rhythm when you get the blues'
In Johnny Cash’s song, “Get Rhythm,” the singer encourages the listener to dance away their blues by getting into the rhythm of rock 'n roll music. The lyrics challenge listeners to put taps on their toes and just move, promising that a good rhythm can cure even the most troubled minds.
The song then tells the story of a shoeshine boy, who despite having the "dirtiest job in town," never seems to get slowed down. Even when working on the "windy corner of a dirty street," his jumpy rhythm keeps him going. When asked how he avoids the blues, he simply responds by popping his shoeshine rag and says, "get rhythm when you get the blues."
Ultimately, the song is about the power of music to uplift people out of their doldrums. The shoeshine boy embodies this theme: he has nothing but his rhythm, yet he’s able to be happy despite all the hardships he encounters.
In conclusion, “Get Rhythm” seeks to inspire listeners to keep dancing and keep moving no matter how tough life gets. The song emphasizes that, with the right music and a good rhythm, it’s possible to rise above difficult situations.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, get rhythm when you get the blues
Don't let the blues get you down, find some rhythm and get moving
C'mon get rhythm, when you get the blues
Encouraging you further to find some rhythm to shake off those blues
Get a rock 'n roll feeling in your bones
Find the energy and excitement of rock 'n roll music to uplift yourself
Put taps on your toes and get goin'
Start moving to the rhythm and let it take you away
Get rhythm, when you get the blues.
Reinforcement of the overall message to find and embrace rhythm when feeling blue
Little shoeshine boy never get slowed down
Praising the hard-working shoeshine boy who maintains his energy and pace
But he's got the dirtiest job in town
Acknowledging how difficult and thankless his job is
Bendin' low at the peoples' feet
Describing the physical effort put in by the shoeshine boy to do his job properly
On the windy corner of a dirty street
Painting a vivid picture of where he works, emphasizing the harshness of his surroundings
Well, I asked him while he shined my shoes
Taking a moment to speak to the shoeshine boy and learn from him
How'd he keep from gettin' the blues
Curiosity about how he stays upbeat despite the challenging nature of his job
He grinned as he raised his little head
The shoeshine boy is happy to share his secret
Popped a shoeshine rag and then he said
Getting ready to share his wisdom
A jumpy rhythm makes you feel so fine
The shoeshine boy's secret is to find a jumpy rhythm to keep his spirits high
It'll shake all the troubles from your worried mind,
If you find a jumpy rhythm, it can help you forget your worries and feel better
Well, I sat down to listen to the shoeshine boy
Taking a moment to learn from the boy, showing respect for his work and his words
And I thought I was gonna jump with joy
Feeling the rhythm, getting excited and happy
Slapped on the shoe polish left and right
Demonstrating the boy's quick and skilled work
He took a shoeshine rag and he held it tight
Describing how the boy expertly uses his materials
He stopped once to wipe the sweat away
Showing how hard the boy works and how taxing his job can be
I said you're a mighty little boy to be-a workin' that way
Giving the boy some recognition and respect for his hard work
He said I like it with a big wide grin
The shoeshine boy loves his work, even if it's tough
Kept on a poppin' and he said again
The boy has reinvigorated his rhythm and reminds us all to keep the beat going
It only cost a dime, just a nickel a shoe
Pointing out how affordable and accessible the joy and energy of rhythm can be
It does a million dollars worth of good for you
Emphasizing how amazing and valuable the positive effects of rhythm can be
Get rhythm, when you get the blues
Final reinforcement of the central message of the song
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny Cash
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