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.
Home Of The Blues
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down the street that losers use
If you can wade in through the teardrops
You'll find me at the home of the blues
I walk and cry while my heartbeat
Keeps time with the drag of my shoes
The sun never shines through this window of mine
Oh, but the place is filled with the sweetest memories
Memories so sweet that I cry
Dreams that I've had left me feeling so bad
I just want to give up and lay down and die
So if you've just lost your sweetheart
And it seems there's no good way to choose
Come along with me, misery loves company
You're welcome at the home of the blues
Just around the corner there's heartache
Down the street that losers use
If you can wade in through the teardrops
You'll find me at the home of the blues
Yeah, you're gonna find me at the home of the blues
In Johnny Cash's classic song "Home of the Blues," the lyrics describe a place that represents sadness, heartache, and pain. The song starts with the line "Just around the corner there's heartache," making it clear that the place he's singing about is not a happy one. "Down the street that losers use" indicates that it's a place where people who are down on their luck and have lost something important in their lives end up. "If you can wade in through the teardrops, you'll find me" implies that the singer is a person who's also experienced some painful events, and who now resides at the "Home of the Blues."
As the song continues, he paints a vivid picture of the place: it's dark, lonely, and isolated, where memories are the only company. He sings about walking through the place while crying and feeling the weight of his sad memories – all while trying to keep the pace with his dragging shoes. The lyrics "the sun never shines through this window of mine" is another metaphor for the darkness of the place. Despite all of this, the song reveals that there's a sort of comfort in the sad memories if you have suffered the loss of something you loved. The line "Come along with me, misery loves company" shows that he wants to share the pain with others and that there's solace in knowing someone else understands and feels your pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Just around the corner there's heartache
Heartache is nearby and can be easily found
Down the street that losers use
The losers, or those who have lost something, are found on this street
If you can wade in through the teardrops
If you can handle the sadness and tears that come with experiencing heartache
You'll find me at the Home of the Blues
I reside in this place of sorrow
I walk and cry while my heartbeat
I walk and cry in time with my broken heart
Keeps time with the drag of my shoes
The rhythm of my shoes dragging on the ground matches the beat of my heartache
The sun never shines through this window of mine
It is always dark and gloomy in this place of sorrow
It's dark at the Home of the Blues
The darkness is a constant presence at this place of heartache
Oh, but the place is filled with the sweetest mem'ries
Despite the sadness, there are happy memories that make me cry
Memories so sweet that I cry
The memories bring me joy and sadness at the same time
Dreams that I've had left me feeling so bad
The dreams I had for the future have been shattered and bring me pain
I just want to give up and lay down and die
I feel overwhelmed with sadness and the desire to give up on life
So if you've just lost your sweetheart
If you have recently experienced heartache and lost your loved one
And it seems there's no good way to choose
If you feel lost and don't know what to do next
Come along with me, misery loves company
Join me in my sorrow, as it is easier to bear with someone else
You're welcome at the Home of the Blues
I invite you to join me in this place of heartache and sadness
Yeah, you're gonna find me at the Home of the Blues
I am always here, waiting in this place of sorrow
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Glen Douglas, Johnny Cash, Lily McAlpin
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