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.
Like A Soldier
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the evening laying shadows
Hidden memories come stealing from my mind
And I feel my own heart beating out
The simple joy of living
And I wonder how I ever was that kind
But the wild road I was rambling
And you said a hundred times I should have died
Then you reached down and touched me
And I lifted me up with you
So, I believe it was a road that I was meant to ride
I'm like a soldier getting over the war
I'm like a young man getting over his crazy days
Like a bandit getting over his lawless ways
I don't have to do that anymore
I'm like a soldier getting over the war
There are nights I don't remember
And pain that it's been forgotten
And a lot of things I choose not to recall
There are faces that come to me
In my darkest secret memories
Faces that I wish would not come back at all
But in my dreams parade of lovers
From the other times and places
There's not one that matters now, no matter who
I'm just thankful for the journey
And that I've survived the battles
And that's my spoils of victory is you
I'm like a soldier getting over the war
I'm like a young man getting over his crazy days
Like a bandit getting over his lawless ways
Everyday gets betther than the day before
I'm like a soldier getting over the war
Johnny Cash's song "Like A Soldier" explores the idea of a person reflecting on their past experiences and coming to terms with the losses and mistakes that have shaped their life. The first verse speaks to the idea that as the day comes to a close, we are left with our thoughts and memories. The singer is remembering the past and the wild road he traveled. There is a sense of gratitude and wonder at the changes he has undergone since then, and relief that he made it through alive. The chorus compares the process of moving on from the past to that of a soldier getting over a war. The second verse delves deeper into the idea that everyone has secrets and scars, and past relationships can be painful to remember. The singer concludes that the journey has been worth it, and expresses gratitude for the person in his life who has helped him overcome his past.
The song seems to be about moving forward and leaving the past behind. It's about healing and coming to terms with the past, even those parts of it that hurt. The chorus communicates the idea that everyone has to go through difficult times in their life, and that it is possible to recover from them. The references to soldiers, bandits, and young men suggest that the process of moving on is universal.
Line by Line Meaning
With the twilight colors falling
As the sun sets and the sky begins to turn shades of purple and orange
And the evening laying shadows
And darkness creeping in
Hidden memories come stealing from my mind
Memories that I had forgotten or tried to push aside are resurfacing
And I feel my own heart beating out
But I also feel my own heartbeat, reminding me that I am still alive
The simple joy of living
And I am reminded of the simple pleasure of being alive
And I wonder how I ever was that kind
And I can't believe I was ever in a place where I didn't appreciate life
But the wild road I was rambling
But I was always on a crazy, unpredictable path
Was always out there calling
And that path always seemed to be calling my name
And you said a hundred times I should have died
And people around me thought the path I was on would lead to my demise
Then you reached down and touched me
But then someone came into my life and saved me from that path
And I lifted me up with you
And they helped me rise above it all
So, I believe it was a road that I was meant to ride
And now I believe that everything happens for a reason, and that path was just part of my journey
I'm like a soldier getting over the war
I feel like I've been through a tough battle and am slowly recovering
I'm like a young man getting over his crazy days
Like a young man who has made mistakes but is learning from them and moving on
Like a bandit getting over his lawless ways
Like a criminal who has served their time and is trying to rebuild their life
I don't have to do that anymore
But now I don't have to continue down that path, I can choose a different direction
Everyday gets better than the day before
And each day is a new opportunity to grow and improve
There are nights I don't remember
There are some nights that are lost to me
And pain that it's been forgotten
And there are painful experiences that I've managed to push out of my mind
And a lot of things I choose not to recall
And there are things that I actively work to forget
There are faces that come to me
But there are certain people from my past that I can't forget
In my darkest secret memories
Those people are part of my darkest, most private memories
Faces that I wish would not come back at all
And I wish I could forget them entirely
But in my dreams parade of lovers
But in my dreams, there are other people from my past who come to me
From the other times and places
People I've loved from different parts of my life
There's not one that matters now, no matter who
But none of them compare to the person who saved me from my destructive path
I'm just thankful for the journey
And I am grateful for everything I've been through, because it has brought me to where I am today
And that I've survived the battles
And I'm proud that I made it through my struggles
And that's my spoils of victory is you
And the biggest reward for everything I've been through is having you by my side
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Royalty Network
Written by: JOHNNY R. 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