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.
She Used To Love Me A Lot
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She was sittin' in the Silver Spoon cafe
I started to keep going
But something made me stop
She used to love me a lot
She looked lonely and I knew the cure
Old memories would win her heart for sureI thought I'd walk on in
And I give it my best shot
She used to love me a lot
I sat down beside her and she smiled
She said where have you been it's been awhile
She was glad to see me
I could almost read her thoughts
She used to love me a lot
She used to love me with a love that wouldn't die
Looking at her now I can't believe I said good-bye
It would only take a minute to turn back the clock
She used to love me a lot
I remember how good it was back then
And I said it's not to late to start again
We could spend a night together
Take up where we left off
She used to love me a lot
But I panicked as she turned to walk away
As she went out the door I heard her say
Yes I'm in need of something
But it's something you ain't got
But I used to love you a lot
I thought she loved me with a love that wouldn't die
Looking at her now I can't believe she said good-bye
She just left me standing there, I never been so shocked
She used to love me a lot
She used to love me a lot
She used to love me a lot, she used to love me a lot, she used to love me a lot
The lyrics of She Used to Love Me a Lot by Johnny Cash tell a story of regret and longing for a past love. The song starts with the singer seeing his former lover through the window of a cafe. He is tempted to keep walking, but something draws him in – a feeling that she may still have feelings for him. He believes that old memories will win her heart again, and he decides to give it his best shot.
The singer sits beside her, and she seems glad to see him. He feels hopeful as he remembers how good it was between them. He suggests they spend a night together and start over. However, as she turns to walk away, she delivers a crushing blow. She admits that she's looking for something, but it's something he can't give her. The singer is left standing there in shock, realizing that the love she once had for him is truly gone.
The lyrics are simple yet powerful, and they capture the heartache of lost love. The song is a reminder that love can be fragile and that once it's lost, it's hard to get back. It's a cautionary tale for those who take love for granted and a tribute to the power of memory.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw her through the window today
I caught a glimpse of her sitting in the Silver Spoon cafe.
She was sittin' in the Silver Spoon cafe
She was seated in a cafe called the Silver Spoon.
I started to keep going
I considered leaving.
But something made me stop
Something compelled me to stay.
She used to love me a lot
She used to have strong affection for me.
She looked lonely and I knew the cure
I could tell by her appearance that she was lonely, and I knew how to make her feel better.
Old memories would win her heart for sure
Recalling past experiences would surely make her heart warm up to me again.
I thought I'd walk on in
I decided to enter the cafe.
And I give it my best shot
I did my utmost to win her back.
I sat down beside her and she smiled
I took a seat next to her, and she greeted me with a smile.
She said where have you been it's been awhile
She inquired where I had been and mentioned that it had been a lengthy period of time since we last met.
She was glad to see me
She was pleased to see me.
I could almost read her thoughts
I could infer what she was thinking.
She used to love me with a love that wouldn't die
Her love for me was once constant and enduring.
Looking at her now I can't believe I said good-bye
Seeing her now, it is unbelievable that I ended the relationship.
It would only take a minute to turn back the clock
It would require only a moment to go back in time and reset everything.
I remember how good it was back then
I reminisced about how great things were before.
And I said it's not to late to start again
I suggested that it wasn't too late to commence anew.
We could spend a night together
We could spend the evening together.
Take up where we left off
We could pick up where we left off.
But I panicked as she turned to walk away
I became anxious as she turned to depart.
As she went out the door I heard her say
Just before she exited, I heard her say.
Yes I'm in need of something
I have a desire for something.
But it's something you ain't got
Unfortunately, that desire cannot be satiated by you.
She just left me standing there, I never been so shocked
She left, leaving me in a state of bewilderment.
She used to love me a lot
She genuinely loved me in the past.
She used to love me a lot
She had an intense affection for me at one point.
She used to love me a lot
She held strong feelings of love towards me previously.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLES W. QUILLEN, DENNIS W. MORGAN, RHONDA KYE FLEMING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@6Prayer6OF6Hatred6
I saw her through the window today
She was sittin' in the Silver Spoon cafe
I started to keep going
But something made me stop
She used to love me a lot
She looked lonely and I knew the cure
Old memories would win her heart for sure
I thought I'd walk on in
And I give it my best shot
She used to love me a lot
I sat down beside her and she smiled
She said where have you been it's been awhile
She was glad to see me
I could almost read her thoughts
She used to love me a lot
She used to love me with a love that wouldn't die
Looking at her now I can't believe I said good-bye
It would only take a minute to turn back the clock
She used to love me a lot
I remember how good it was back then
And I said it's not to late to start again
We could spend a night together
Take up where we left off
She used to love me a lot
But I panicked as she turned to walk away
As she went out the door I heard her say
Yes I'm in need of something
But it's something you ain't got
But I used to love you a lot
I thought she loved me with a love that wouldn't die
Looking at her now I can't believe she said good-bye
She just left me standing there, I never been so shocked
She used to love me a lot
She used to love me a lot
She used to love me a lot, she used to love me a lot, she used to love me a lot
@inkmypaper
Lyrics
I saw her through the window today
She was sittin' in the Silver Spoon cafe
I started to keep going
But something made me stop
She used to love me a lot
She looked lonely and I knew the cure
Old memories would win her heart for sure
I thought I'd walk on in
And I give it my best shot
She used to love me a lot
I sat down beside her and she smiled
She said where have you been it's been awhile
She was glad to see me
I could almost read her thoughts
She used to love me a lot
She used to love me with a love that wouldn't die
Looking at her now I can't believe I said good-bye
It would only take a minute to turn back the clock
She used to love me a lot
I remember how good it was back then
And I said it's not to late to start again
We could spend a night together
Take up where we left off
She used to love me a lot
But I panicked as she turned to walk away
As she went out the door I heard her say
Yes I'm in need of something
But it's something you ain't got
But I used to love you a lot
I thought she loved me with a love that wouldn't die
Looking at her now I can't believe she said good-bye
She just left me standing there, I never been so shocked
She used to love me a lot
She used to love me a lot
She used to love me a lot, she used to love me a lot, she used to love me a lot
@athanasiussebastian1836
Don't fall in love with the same person twice, because the second time it will be not the person but the memories
@ArcoZakus
It is easy for two people to think that they know each other well because they have known each other for a long time. They are not the same thing.
@CharlesEdwards-g7t
Love doesn't exist. Itz things we tempy each other with. Knowing it doesn't exist
@JorgeMolina-ly3zd
Anyone else listen to Johnny Cash in absolute silence?
@ukmaster3339
No I sit in a dog kennel!
@earthhuman192
Lol how can you listen in absolute silence
@courtneynutt6639
+Jorx Molina yup me
@aaronwag2459
Best way to do it.
@hannuhakalayyxhk
I DO :-)
@shaquielloatmeal4621
don't try to find happiness in the same place you lost it