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.
One Too Many Mornings
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the day is a-gettin' dark
As the night comes in a-fallin'
The dogs'll lose their bark
An' the silent night will shatter
From the sounds inside my mind
Yes, I'm one too many mornings
And a thousand miles behind
From the crossroads of my doorstep
My eyes they start to fade
And I turn my head back to the room
Where my love and I have laid
An' I gaze back to the street
The sidewalk and the sign
And I'm one too many mornings
An' a thousand miles behind
It's a restless hungry feeling
That don't mean no one no good
When everything I'm a-sayin'
You can say it just as good
You're right from your side
I'm right from mine
We're both just one too many mornings
An' a thousand miles behind
One Too Many Mornings is a song performed by Johnny Cash and The Avett Brothers. The song is a cover of Bob Dylan's original version. The lyrics speak of a man who is feeling lost and is struggling to reconcile with the end of a relationship. It is a haunting and melancholic song, with each verse holding a deeper meaning.
The first verse of the song sets the scene, where the dogs are barking and the darkness is setting in. It further speaks of the man's inner turmoil and the sounds inside his mind. The silence of the night only adds to his internal chaos, and he finds himself a thousand miles behind.
In the second verse, the man turns his gaze back to the room where he and his love have laid. He looks back at the street, the sidewalk, and the sign. He is living in the past and is unable to move forward. He is one too many mornings and a thousand miles behind.
The song's final verse is perhaps the most poignant of all. It speaks of the restless, hungry feeling that the man has, which doesn't do anyone any good. It is a feeling that comes from within and cannot be reconciled. He and his love are both right from their perspectives, but they are both stuck in their past. They are both one too many mornings and a thousand miles behind.
Line by Line Meaning
Down the street the dogs are barkin'
The night is getting late, and the dogs are barking in the distance.
And the day is a-gettin' dark
The sun is setting, and the sky is transitioning from light to dark.
As the night comes in a-fallin'
The night is arriving and darkness is settling in.
The dogs'll lose their bark
As the night gets darker, the dogs will stop barking.
An' the silent night will shatter
The quietness of the night will be disrupted by the sounds in the singer's mind.
From the sounds inside my mind
The singer's mind is noisy and chaotic with different thoughts and emotions.
Yes, I'm one too many mornings
The singer has experienced too many days that started in a similar way, and they are tired of it.
And a thousand miles behind
The singer feels like they are very far behind in life.
From the crossroads of my doorstep
The singer is standing at the threshold, trying to decide which direction to take.
My eyes they start to fade
The singer's vision begins to blur, perhaps due to tears or weariness.
And I turn my head back to the room
The singer looks back at the place where they were before stepping out.
Where my love and I have laid
The singer reminisces about the moments spent with their partner in that room.
An' I gaze back to the street
The singer looks out towards the street.
The sidewalk and the sign
The singer sees the sidewalk and a signpost with directions.
And I'm one too many mornings
The singer feels overwhelmed with the number of mornings and experiences they have gone through.
An' a thousand miles behind
The singer feels as if they have not made much progress in their journey of life.
It's a restless hungry feeling
The singer is not at peace and feels anxious.
That don't mean no one no good
The anxiety and restlessness cannot bring any good outcomes to anyone.
When everything I'm a-sayin'
The singer feels like their words are meaningless and cannot change anything.
You can say it just as good
The singer feels like anyone else can speak the same things as they do, with equal impact.
You're right from your side
The singer acknowledges that there are different perspectives and views about a situation.
I'm right from mine
The singer believes that their own perspective is also valid and correct.
We're both just one too many mornings
Neither the singer nor the other person feels content with their experiences so far.
An' a thousand miles behind
Both the singer and the other person feel like they have not made much progress in life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mikhailtyulenev4223
Down the street the dogs are barkin'
And the day is a-gettin' dark.
As the night comes in a-fallin',
The dogs 'll lose their bark.
An' the silent night will shatter
From the sounds inside my mind,
For I'm one too many mornings
And a thousand miles behind.
From the crossroads of my doorstep,
My eyes they start to fade,
As I turn my head back to the room
Where my love and I have laid.
An' I gaze back to the street,
The sidewalk and the sign,
And I'm one too many mornings
An' a thousand miles behind.
It's a restless hungry feeling
That don't mean no one no good,
When ev'rything I'm a-sayin'
You can say it just as good.
You're right from your side,
I'm right from mine.
We're both just too many mornings
An' a thousand miles behind
@sommmeguy
I miss the days when the music was more important than the egos.
@seamuswarren
The power in Cash’s voice is biblical.
@Bostonceltic1998
well said
@andymell4515
Estilo voz de Deus ou algum profeta muito poderoso
@adamfindlay7091
You said it
. Wouldn't want to follow that cat at any stage. 1 only.
@bongoking5850
When we hear thunder I say to my kids “that’s Cash up there singing again”
@skygazer6898
I love Johnny's voice. Two legends together, it don't get better than this
@corneliadenninger5395
** doesn't **
@angieneal7070
absolutely legends
@billlyjackbitch
Two of the greatest songwriters/storytellers there has ever been.