Johnny Cash (born J.R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an… Read Full Bio ↴Johnny Cash (born J.R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer, guitarist, actor, songwriter, author. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 90 million records worldwide. Although primarily remembered as a country music icon, his genre-spanning songs and sound embraced rock and roll, rockabilly, blues, folk, and gospel.

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.

Heavy Métal
Johnny Cash Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Some days I think this old machine is out to get me
Some days she does what I tell her
It's like dancing with the widow-maker forty hours a week
I'm talkin' 'bout a big old D10 Caterpillar

I don't know why I like to drive 'em like I do
It ain't nothin' but a hundred and seventy-five thousand pounds of steel
Could be the money babe, could be the power

Could be I love the way it feels
Could be I love the way it feels

But you know she's mighty unforgivin' and you got to pay attention
'Cause the d-10 can be the death of you
But I get her all fired up and I can feel it in my soul
And it's hard to tell just who's drivin' who

I can move Alaska all the way to Beirut
I can bulldoze a beeline from here to Peru
I can push the rocky mountains into the sea
You know heavy metal don't mean rock and roll to me

I'm like a modern day mule skinner, drivin' ten thousand mules
So say a little prayer every day
Lord, just let me get her turned around without fallin' off this mountain
You know the boss man don't like us treatin' his D10 that way

I don't know why I like to drive 'em like I do
It ain't nothin' but a hundred and seventy-five thousand pounds of steel
Could be the money babe, could be the power
Could be I love the way it feels
Could be I love the way it feels

Could be I love the way it feels
Could be I love the way it feels

Overall Meaning

Johnny Cash's song "Heavy Metal" is a tribute to the D10 Caterpillar, a giant bulldozer used for heavy construction and mining work. The lyrics describe the intense and dangerous experience of operating such a massive machine. Cash describes it as being like "dancing with the widow-maker," and says that while he can feel the power of the D10 in his soul, he also knows that the machine can be unforgiving and deadly.

Despite the risks, Cash still loves driving the D10. He suggests that it might be the money, the power, or simply the way it feels that draws him to the machine. The song is a celebration of the power of heavy machinery and the thrill of operating it.

However, the lyrics also express a sense of humility and caution. Cash asks for divine intervention to help him navigate the treacherous terrain safely, and acknowledges that the boss man doesn't like people treating his D10 roughly. Ultimately, "Heavy Metal" is a tribute to the excitement and danger of heavy construction work, as well as the power of human beings to operate machines that dwarf them in size.

Line by Line Meaning

Some days I think this old machine is out to get me
Johnny Cash sometimes thinks that the machine he drives is trying to harm him.

Some days she does what I tell her
On some days, the machine behaves according to Johnny Cash's commands.

It's like dancing with the widow-maker forty hours a week
Driving the D10 Caterpillar is as dangerous as dancing with the devil.

I'm talkin' 'bout a big old D10 Caterpillar
Johnny Cash is referring to a large machine, the D10 Caterpillar.

I don't know why I like to drive 'em like I do
Johnny Cash is not sure why he enjoys driving the D10 Caterpillar as much as he does.

It ain't nothin' but a hundred and seventy-five thousand pounds of steel
The D10 Caterpillar is simply a large piece of machinery weighing 175,000 pounds.

Could be the money babe, could be the power
Johnny Cash might enjoy driving the D10 Caterpillar because of the money or power associated with operating it.

Could be I love the way it feels
Johnny Cash might enjoy driving the D10 Caterpillar because he loves the way it feels.

But you know she's mighty unforgivin' and you got to pay attention
Driving the D10 Caterpillar requires attention because it can be dangerous and unforgiving.

'Cause the d-10 can be the death of you
The D10 Caterpillar has the potential to be deadly if not driven correctly.

But I get her all fired up and I can feel it in my soul
Johnny Cash can feel the energy of the D10 Caterpillar when he starts it up.

And it's hard to tell just who's drivin' who
When operating the D10 Caterpillar, it's difficult to determine who really has control.

I can move Alaska all the way to Beirut
The D10 Caterpillar is powerful enough to move Alaska to Beirut if Johnny Cash wanted to.

I can bulldoze a beeline from here to Peru
The D10 Caterpillar could bulldoze a straight path to Peru from where Johnny Cash is located.

I can push the rocky mountains into the sea
The D10 Caterpillar is strong enough to push the Rocky Mountains into the ocean.

You know heavy metal don't mean rock and roll to me
The phrase 'heavy metal' has a different meaning to Johnny Cash than it does to most people.

I'm like a modern day mule skinner, drivin' ten thousand mules
Driving the D10 Caterpillar makes Johnny Cash feel like he's in charge of a modern-day pack of mules.

So say a little prayer every day
Johnny Cash asks for a prayer to be said every day, likely for his own safety while operating the D10 Caterpillar.

Lord, just let me get her turned around without fallin' off this mountain
Johnny Cash prays that he can turn the D10 Caterpillar around safely without falling off a mountain.

You know the boss man don't like us treatin' his D10 that way
Johnny Cash's employer does not approve of treating the D10 Caterpillar roughly or dangerously.

Could be I love the way it feels
Johnny Cash concludes that he may love driving the D10 Caterpillar simply because of the way it feels.

Could be I love the way it feels
Johnny Cash repeats that he may just love driving the D10 Caterpillar because of how it feels.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GUY CLARK, JIM MC BRIDE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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