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.
Man In Black
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why you never see bright colors on my back
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on
I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town
I wear it for the prisoner who is long paid for his crime
I wear the black for those who've never read
Or listened to the words that Jesus said
About the road to happiness through love and charity
Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me
Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose
In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back
Up front there ought to be a man in black
I wear it for the sick and lonely old
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold
I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men
And I wear it for the thousands who have died
Believin' that the Lord was on their side
I wear it for another hundred-thousand who have died
Believin' that we all were on their side
Well, there's things that never will be right, I know
And things need changin' everywhere you go
But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right
You'll never see me wear a suit of white
Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day
And tell the world that everything's okay
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back
'Til things are brighter, I'm the man in black
Johnny Cash’s “Man in Black” is a political and social commentary that speaks to his beliefs about the struggles of the poor and the marginalized. The song begins with Cash explaining why he dresses only in black and never in brighter colors, as he refers to himself as the man in black. He says that his appearance represents a “somber tone” because there is a reason why he wears the color.
Cash then explains that he wears black for those who have fallen victim to injustice, poverty, and inequality. He mentions the poor, the hungry, and the prisoners who have paid for their crimes, but are still caught in the cycle because of the times they live in. He also talks about those who have never read or listened to the words of Jesus and his call for love and charity. Cash wants to remind people to remember the suffering of others and not only focus on their own lives, represented by “lightning cars and fancy clothes.”
In the end, Cash acknowledges that he wishes he could wear a rainbow every day, but he carries the darkness with him until things change. The lyrics reveal Cash’s compassion for the less fortunate and his desire to make a difference in the world. His commitment to using his platform to speak out against injustice and his dedication to those who suffered set him apart from other musicians of his time.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, you wonder why I always dress in black
People may be curious why I consistently wear black clothing.
Why you never see bright colors on my back
The choice to avoid bright colors is intentional.
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone
Many might perceive my look to be bleak.
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on
There is a motive for my wardrobe.
I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down
I dress in black as a tribute for the impoverished and maltreated.
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town
Those who reside on the deprived, famished side of town are who I remember.
I wear it for the prisoner who is long paid for his crime
I wear it to acknowledge prisoners who once served their time yet are still in jail because they were victimized by their era.
But is there because he's a victim of the times
The times in which he lived were responsible for his current incarceration.
I wear the black for those who've never read
I don black attire for people who have never read.
Or listened to the words that Jesus said
Those who have never heard or paid heed to Jesus's teachings.
About the road to happiness through love and charity
Jesus's message of love and charity for a happy life.
Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me
Jesus's sermons make it sound like he is speaking directly to us.
Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose
We might be doing fantastic, I presume.
In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes
Our fast vehicles and trendy clothing.
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back
To remember those that lag, we need a visual reminder.
Up front there ought to be a man in black
The man in black should be at the forefront.
I wear it for the sick and lonely old
I don black garments for the elderly who are sick and lonely.
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold
For those who took a dangerous trip and were left alone and cold.
I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been
I wear black as a symbol of mourning for all those lives that had potential but were lost.
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men
Each week, a hundred incredible young men pass away.
And I wear it for the thousands who have died
I wear black to pay my respects to the thousands who have died.
Believin' that the Lord was on their side
Trusting that God was on their side.
I wear it for another hundred-thousand who have died
Black clothes are additionally for an extra hundred thousand who died.
Believin' that we all were on their side
Believing that we are all on their team.
Well, there's things that never will be right, I know
I know that some things will never appear fair.
And things need changin' everywhere you go
Everywhere you go, there are things that need to be changed.
But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right
Until we take the first steps to make some things fair.
You'll never see me wear a suit of white
I will not be dressed in white until then.
Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day
Every day, I would enjoy wearing a spectrum of colors.
And tell the world that everything's okay
To tell everyone that things are alright.
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back
Instead, I'll carry a little bit of darkness with me.
'Til things are brighter, I'm the man in black
Until things improve, I'll continue to wear black.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Johnny Cash
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Man in Black (Lyrics)
Johnny Cash (Composer/Singer/Musician)
Well, you wonder why
I always dress in black
Why you never see
Bright colors on my back
And why does my appearance
Seem to have a somber tone?
Well, there's a reason for the things
That I have on
I wear the black
For the poor and the beaten down
Livin' in the hopeless
Hungry side of town
I wear it for the prisoner
Who has long paid for his crime
But is there because
He's a victim of the times
I wear the black
For those who've never read
Or listened
To the words that Jesus said
About the road to happiness
Through love and charity
Why you'd think He's talking
Straight to you and me
Well, we're doin' mighty fine
I do suppose
In our streak of lightnin' cars
And fancy clothes
But just so we're reminded
Of the ones who are held back
Up front there ought to be
A man in black
I wear it
For the sick and lonely old
For the reckless ones
Whose bad trip left them cold
I wear the black in mournin'
For the lives that could have been
Each week we lose
A hundred fine young men
And, I wear it
For the thousands who have died
Believin' that the Lord
Was on their side
I wear it for another
Hundred thousand who have died
Believin' that we all
Were on their side
Well, there's things
That never will be right, I know
And things need changin'
Everywhere you go
But till we start to make a move
To make a few things right
You'll never see me
Wear a suit of white
Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow
Every day
And tell the world
That everything's okay
But I'll try to carry off
A little darkness on my back
Till things are brighter
I'm the man in black
Composer: Johnny Cash