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.
Mean Eyed Cat
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I said, now buy a little groceries, and don't spend no more
But she paid ten dollars for a ten-cent hat
And bought some store-bought cat food for a mean-eyed cat
When I give her ten more dollars for a one-way ticket
She was mad as could be
Then I bet ten more that if she ever left
When I woke up this mornin' and I turned my head
There wasn't a cotton-pickin' thing on her side of the bed
I found a little note where her head belonged
It said, dear John, honey, baby, I'm long gone
When I heard a whistle blowin', and the big wheels a-turnin'
I was scared as I could be
I put on my overalls and I headed for town
Gonna bring her back with me
I asked the man down at the station if he'd seen her there
I told him all about her pretty eyes and long, blonde hair
He spit his tobacco, said, I'll be dad-blamed
I believe I did see her leavin' on the Eastbound train
I bought a round-trip ticket on the Eastbound train
I was broke as I could be
But when I come back, I gotta buy another ticket
Gotta bring her back with me
In Johnny Cash's song, "Mean Eyed Cat," he tells the story of a woman who takes advantage of his kindness and generosity. He relays the tale of how he provided her with half his money to buy groceries, but instead, she spends most of it on a hat and a store-bought cat food for their cat. He even offers her money for a one-way ticket, which she accepts reluctantly but does leave after all. The chorus hints at the fact that he does not expect her to be gone for long, as he bets he can bring her back to him if she ever leaves him.
Cash's vocals and the song's melody are reminiscent of early rock and roll, with a background beat and guitar sounds that permeated much of his music. However, the lyrics themselves are purely country, as the story of a woman leaving a man has been a common theme throughout country music's history.
The lyrics speak to the idea of trusting somebody to take care of your money and belongings, only to have them deceive and steal from you. It's not about the money for Cash; rather, it's about the betrayal of trust, which is something that can tear an individual apart. The singer explains how he'll do whatever it takes to bring his lost love back to him, including buying a round-trip ticket to find and rescue her.
Overall, "Mean Eyed Cat" is a catchy tune with a relatable story that conveys the emotions we all feel when somebody we trust breaks our heart. Cash's style and execution are unmistakable, making it another classic in his long list of hits.
Line by Line Meaning
I give my woman half my money at the general store
I take my woman to the general store and give her half my money so she can buy some groceries.
I said, now buy a little groceries, and don't spend no more
I instructed my woman to only buy a small amount of groceries and not overspend.
But she paid ten dollars for a ten-cent hat
Instead of buying only groceries, my woman overspent and bought an expensive hat for no reason.
And bought some store-bought cat food for a mean-eyed cat
My woman spent money on cat food for a cat that I do not like.
When I give her ten more dollars for a one-way ticket
I gave my woman ten dollars for a one-way ticket, probably to leave town.
She was mad as could be
My woman was angry at me for giving her only enough money for a one-way ticket.
Then I bet ten more that if she ever left
I made a bet with my woman that if she ever left me, she would return to me.
She'd come a-crawlin' back to me
If my woman ever left, she would return to me, humbly begging for my forgiveness.
When I woke up this mornin' and I turned my head
I woke up to find that my woman had left me in the middle of the night.
There wasn't a cotton-pickin' thing on her side of the bed
My woman had cleared out her side of the bed, taking all her belongings with her.
I found a little note where her head belonged
I found a note where my woman usually puts her head down to sleep.
It said, dear John, honey, baby, I'm long gone
The note from my woman stated that she had left me and was not coming back.
When I heard a whistle blowin', and the big wheels a-turnin'
I heard a train depart and realized my woman must have left on it.
I was scared as I could be
I was scared and anxious about losing my woman.
I put on my overalls and I headed for town
I changed my clothes and went to town to look for my woman.
Gonna bring her back with me
I am determined to find my woman and bring her back.
I asked the man down at the station if he'd seen her there
I asked the man at the train station if he had seen my woman.
I told him all about her pretty eyes and long, blonde hair
I described my woman's appearance to the man in the hopes of finding her.
He spit his tobacco, said, I'll be dad-blamed
The man at the station was surprised by my woman leaving and could not believe it.
I believe I did see her leavin' on the Eastbound train
The man at the station thinks he saw my woman leaving on a train heading east.
I bought a round-trip ticket on the Eastbound train
I purchased a ticket for an eastbound train to look for my woman, but had to get a round-trip because I was broke.
I was broke as I could be
I did not have much money left and was at my lowest financial point.
But when I come back, I gotta buy another ticket
If I am able to find my woman and bring her back, I will have to purchase another ticket to return home.
Gotta bring her back with me
It is my sole purpose to find my woman and bring her back home with me.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@danrod8479
I gave my woman half my money at the general store,
I said, "Now buy a little groceries and don't spend no more."
But she paid ten dollars for a ten cent hat,
And bought some store-bought cat food for that mean-eyed cat.
When I woke up this mornin' and I turned my head,
There wasn't a cotton pickin' thing on her side of the bed.
I found a little ol' note, where her head belonged.
It said, "Dear John, honey, baby, I'm long gone."
When I heard a whistle blowin' and the big wheels a-turnin',
I was scared as I could be.
I put on my overalls and I headed to town.
Gonna bring her back with me.
I asked the man down at the station if he'd seen her there.
I told him all about her pretty eyes and long, blonde hair.
He spit his tobacco, said, "I'll be dad blamed,
I believe I did see her leavin' on the east-bound train."
I bought a round-trip ticket on the east bound train,
I was broke as I could be,
But when I come back, I gotta buy another ticket,
Gonna bring her back with me.
Well, I got off the train somewhere in Arkansas,
And I worked up the guts to call my mother-in-law,
She said, "I'll tell you where she is, if you act right.
She's workin' four-to-twelve at Trucker's World tonight."
Well, when I walked in she saw me and she took off her apron,
And she grabbed her goin'-home hat
She bought a ticket with her tips. Now we're curled up on the sofa,
Me and her and that mean-eyed cat.
@AlunDavies-tm2lt
I have been listening to Johnny Cash since I was 8 years old and I still think he’s one of the greatest
@johnf7372
And still people dare to name this country.. this true true rockabilly/rock 'n' roll
@glen7318
years ago I was in America and bought a straw hat, and my husband said "so you spent 10 dollars on a ten cent hat..."
@JRCinKY
One of his BEST.. Cash was the GOAT
@kevinceniceros1690
I love listening to Johnny Cash's first recorded songs.
@1950sRockabilly
One of Johnny Cashs best Rockabilly songs.
@EkikaMess
I love this song, i always smile whenever i hear it... Good job!
@fender35946
Great track, a favorite of mine when i was growing up in the 70's listening to Sun Records, i recently bought the original single.
@DarthSeptic
Never once did I do the song on stage, and as the years passed, it bugged me more and more that the song was unfinished. So, about a year ago, I wrote the third verse. When I brought it to these sessions, it was like a new song. Finally, after 41 years, I'm satisfied with "Mean Eyed Cat"
@alexey1983rus
Просто класс!Одна из лучших песен в исполнении Джонни!Великий человек и певец!