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.
Pocahontas
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The icy sky at night
Paddles cut the water
In a long and hurried flight
From the white man
to the fields of green
And the homeland
we've never seen.
They killed us in our tepee
And they cut our women down
They might have left some babies
Cryin' on the ground
But the firesticks
and the wagons come
And the night falls
on the setting sun.
They massacred the buffalo
Kitty corner from the bank
The taxis run across my feet
And my eyes have turned to blanks
In my little box
at the top of the stairs
With my Indian rug
and a pipe to share.
I wish a was a trapper
I would give thousand pelts
To sleep with Pocahontas
And find out how she felt
In the mornin'
on the fields of green
In the homeland
we've never seen.
And maybe Marlon Brando
Will be there by the fire
We'll sit and talk about Hollywood
And the good things there for hire
Like the Astrodome
and the first tepee
Marlon Brando, Pocahontas and me
Marlon Brando, Pocahontas and me
Pocahontas.
Johnny Cash’s song “Pocahontas” is a reflective and contemplative tale of the displacement and genocide of Native American peoples. The lyrics of the song evoke a deep sense of pain and sadness at the loss of culture and traditions. The first stanza of the song speaks of the Aurora borealis as a symbol of the beauty of nature but juxtaposes it with the atrocities committed against Native Americans by white colonial settlers. The boats paddling hurriedly represent the mass exodus of native tribes who lost their homelands to the oncoming settlers.
The second stanza tells of how the white settlers destroyed Native American communities, burning teepees and cutting down women and children. The devastation wrought upon the buffalo herds is evidence of the settler society’s disregard for the native way of life. The final stanza of the song speaks of the singer’s longing for a simpler time, a time when things were not so complicated. The trapper’s life is romanticized, and he wishes he could sleep with Pocahontas, a symbol of the purity of Native American culture. Marlon Brando’s name is mentioned as a Hollywood star, but his presence is no more conflictual than the thought of any other celebrity being present in this idealistic setting. In the end, the song speaks of cultural loss and a wish for a time before colonialism displaced and destroyed the native way of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Aurora borealis
The beautiful northern lights that shine in the night sky.
The icy sky at night
The cold and dark night sky that is illuminated by the aurora borealis.
Paddles cut the water
People are paddling quickly and anxiously to escape from the white man.
In a long and hurried flight
The escape from the white man is urgent and rushed.
From the white man
The reason for their flight is to escape from the white man's persecution and mistreatment.
to the fields of green
They are seeking refuge in a place that is full of life, beauty and prosperity.
And the homeland
This place is also a homeland, but one that they have never seen before.
we've never seen.
They are hoping to find a new home, unburdened by the cruelty of the white man.
They killed us in our tepee
The white man mercilessly killed them in their own home.
And they cut our women down
Women were not spared from the white man's savagery and were killed too.
They might have left some babies
The white man may have left some children behind, crying and alone.
Cryin' on the ground
These babies are helpless and vulnerable, and have no one to care for them.
But the firesticks
The white man's guns are like firesticks, and are used to overpower and kill.
and the wagons come
More white men are on the way, bringing with them more destruction and death.
And the night falls
The day is coming to an end, and with it, the hope for peace and safety.
on the setting sun.
The sun sets on the destruction and chaos that the white man has brought with them.
They massacred the buffalo
The white man killed the buffalo in large numbers, bringing the native people's food source to the brink of extinction.
Kitty corner from the bank
The white man's violence took place near the bank, a symbol of their greed and power.
The taxis run across my feet
The singer is living in a busy and chaotic city, where taxis are racing past him and ignoring his presence.
And my eyes have turned to blanks
The artist has lost the ability to see and feel the world around him due to the trauma and displacement he has experienced.
In my little box
The artist is living in a small and confined space, which highlights his feelings of confinement and captivity.
at the top of the stairs
His confinement is elevated, making it harder for him to access the outside world.
With my Indian rug
The singer is finding solace in the familiar comforts of his Native American heritage, represented by his Indian rug.
and a pipe to share.
He is smoking his pipe, which is a traditional and ritualistic symbol of his culture.
I wish a was a trapper
The singer is disillusioned with his current life, and longs for a simpler time and occupation.
I would give thousand pelts
He is willing to work hard and make sacrifices to achieve his ideal life as a trapper.
To sleep with Pocahontas
He desires intimacy and connection with the iconic figure of Pocahontas, who represents his cultural identity.
And find out how she felt
He wants to better understand his cultural heritage and learn from those who came before him.
In the mornin'
He hopes to wake up to a better and happier life, one that is full of meaning and purpose.
on the fields of green
He dreams of a better homeland, where he can be at peace and live freely.
And maybe Marlon Brando
He imagines himself in the company of famous and influential people, who share his vision for a better future.
Will be there by the fire
He is surrounded by a comforting and inviting fire, which represents his desire for warmth, companionship, and security.
We'll sit and talk about Hollywood
He is fascinated by the spectacle and allure of Hollywood, a symbol of the American dream and way of life.
And the good things there for hire
He is aware that success and happiness comes through hard work and sacrifice, but he also recognizes the value of the material possessions and pleasures that come with it.
Like the Astrodome
He is enamored with modern and iconic buildings, like the Astrodome, which represents progress and modernity.
and the first tepee
He also values his culture and heritage, as represented by the first tepee built by his ancestors.
Marlon Brando, Pocahontas and me
He sees himself as part of a larger picture, and dreams of sharing his experiences and hopes with others who share his struggles and hopes.
Marlon Brando, Pocahontas and me
He sees himself as part of a larger picture, and dreams of sharing his experiences and hopes with others who share his struggles and hopes.
Pocahontas.
Pocahontas represents his cultural identity and values, as well as a powerful symbol of strength and resilience.
Contributed by Lincoln Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@dennisdevine3382
Thanks Johnny! You've done it again. You were truly King of Americana. R.I.P.
@davidbunte8860
Wow....love the strings...powerful!
@martinrobinson4350
Love this version, JC sings NY , sweet
@carolgriffiths3134
Love this! ❤️
@critical242
One of his very best!
@ljones3007
This song fills me with grief
@robertplunkett9191
the Best ever
@JLMtime
The BEST Neil song ever ! cash dose a better job always especially when he has tom petty the angel of classical/cat gut/nylon guitar since Willie sold his baby
@deanmurray4953
Trail of tears Hwy 26 ,never forgotten
@alangrant6290
Love the Cash version of this