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.
Peace In The Valley
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I must go alone
Till the lord comes and calls, calls me away, oh yes
Well the morning's so bright
And the lamp is alight
And the night, night is as black as the sea, oh yes
There will be peace in the valley for me, some day
There'll be no sadness, no sorrow
No trouble I see
There will be peace in the valley for me, for me
Well the bear will be gentle
And the wolves will be tame
And the lion shall lay down with the lamb, oh yes
And the beasts from the wild
Will be lit by a child
And I'll be changed, changed from this creature that I am, oh yes
There will be peace in the valley for me, some day
There will be peace in the valley for me, dear Lord I pray
There'll be no sadness, no sorrow
No trouble I see
There will be peace in the valley for me, for me
The lyrics of Johnny Cash Feat. The Carter Family's song "Peace in the Valley" speak of a longing for peace and a better future. The first verse showcases weariness and exhaustion, but also a sense of duty to keep going until the Lord calls. The contrast between the brightness of morning and the darkness of night sets the stage for a longing for light, hope, and a better tomorrow. The chorus paints a picture of a promised land, an afterlife where there will be no sorrow, trouble, or sadness. The repetition of "oh Lord I pray" emphasizes the importance of faith in achieving this sense of peace.
The second verse paints a picture of a transformed world, where even the fiercest animals are gentle and tamed. The child symbolizes innocence and purity, shedding light on even the wildest creatures. This verse also shows a hope for personal transformation, changing from one's current state to a better one. Overall, the lyrics of "Peace in the Valley" convey a sense of struggle, longing, and a desire for a better world, but also a deep belief in the power of faith and transformation to achieve that world.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh well, I'm tired and so weary
I am exhausted and drained.
But I must go alone
I will have to face my trials alone.
Till the lord comes and calls, calls me away, oh yes
I will hold on until the Lord calls me back to his kingdom.
Well the morning's so bright
The new day is full of hope.
And the lamp is alight
The light of goodness is shining within me.
And the night, night is as black as the sea, oh yes
Despite the darkness of the night, I have faith that better days are ahead.
There will be peace in the valley for me, some day
One day, I will find the peace and serenity I seek.
There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray
I pray to the Lord that I will find peace one day.
There'll be no sadness, no sorrow
The troubles of today will one day cease, bringing an end to sadness and sorrow.
No trouble I see
There will be no more hardships to bear.
There will be peace in the valley for me, for me
I will finally find the peace and happiness that has eluded me for so long.
Well the bear will be gentle
Animals will no longer be a threat to me.
And the wolves will be tame
Even the fiercest animals will be domesticated and non-threatening.
And the lion shall lay down with the lamb, oh yes
Peace will reign supreme and even the most unlikely things of coexisting will be possible.
And the beasts from the wild
Even wild animals will be tamed and harmless to me.
Will be lit by a child
Even a child will have the ability to bring light and kindness to all creatures.
And I'll be changed, changed from this creature that I am, oh yes
I will be transformed into a better version of myself.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Tratore, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Bluewater Music Corp., Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Thomas A. Dorsey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@triplucid3563
“I hate a song that makes you think that you are not any good. I hate a song that makes you think that you are just born to lose. Bound to lose. No good to nobody. No good for nothing.
Because you are too old or too young or too fat or too slim or too ugly or too this or too that.
Songs that run you down or poke fun at you on account of your bad luck or hard travelling.
I am out to fight those songs to my very last breath of air and my last drop of blood.
I am out to sing songs that will prove to you that this is your world and that if it has hit you pretty hard and knocked you for a dozen loops, no matter what color,
what size you are, how you are built, I am out to sing the songs that make you take pride in yourself and in your work...
And the songs that I sing are made up for the most part by all sorts of folks just about like you. I could hire out to the other side, the big money side, and get several dollars every week just to quit singing my own kind of songs and to sing the kind that knock you down still farther,
and the ones that poke fun at you even more and the ones that make you think that you've not got any sense at all. But I decided a long time ago that I'd starve to death before I'd sing any such songs as that.
The radio waves and your movies and your jukeboxes and your songbooks are already loaded down and running over with such no good songs as that anyhow.”
― Woody Guthrie
@faisalmj7283
Oh well, I'm tired and so weary
But I must go alone
Till the lord comes and calls, calls me away, oh yes
Well the morning's so bright
And the lamp is alight
And the night, night is as black as the sea, oh yes
There will be peace in the valley for me, some day
There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray
There'll be no sadness, no sorrow
No trouble, trouble I see
There will be peace in the valley for me, for me
Well the bear will be gentle
And the wolves will be tame
And the lion shall lay down by the lamb, oh yes
And the beasts from the wild
Shall be lit by a child
And I'll be changed, changed from this creature that I am, oh yes
There will be peace in the valley for me, some day
There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray
There'll be no sadness, no sorrow
No trouble, trouble I see
There will be peace in the valley for me, for me
@tylerlucas1936
These old songs have a soul that today's christian music severely lacks. They just sing it, the old gospel singers felt it and sent it to all of us!
@froter1
I met Johnny in Pensacola 1969 ... he was staying at the same Holiday Inn as we were ... we ending up playing in his room with acoustic guitars and just singing away ... this is one we sang ❤️
@Enaz19
if thats true thats amazing
@gooniesneversaydie3699
What an incredible night
@saveamerica3393
Awesome
@vladimirvladimir4952
Dear sir, you are a really really lucky man!
@jamescarrington5521
I once had this album as a kid, about 8 or 9 years old....my mom's friend, Peggy Carpenter, gave it to me....along with so many other great albums, like Melanie Safka's "Candles in the Rain" album (finally got to meet her a few years ago!) ALL of The Four Seasons' albums (she had many of those) and so many other albums that she gave me....Lovin' Spoonful, Aretha Franklin (I actually got to meet her, too!) I think there was a Tom Jones album in there, on and on. Peggy was always plugged in to whatever was currently hot, of course, but this was a woman who, if she had an extra 10 or 15 minutes in her day, would stop at a church, light a candle for someone, often recently passed, but definitely not always, and she'd pray. She's gone now, but she will never be forgotten to me. This brings back so many memories.
@inspirationmovemebrightly9627
Mother Maybell and the Carter sisters are absolutely beautiful. Those harmonies give me chills every time.
@rossmorebaz
he was just one of the coolest men that ever lived.. he had such presence.. what an amazing talent Johnny was
@iwannacausetrouble2700
And the carter family