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.
So Doggone Lonesome
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I try to make believe there's nothing wrong
But they're always asking me about you darling
And it hurts me so to tell 'em that you're gone
If they ask me I guess I'd be denyin'
That I've been unhappy all alone
But if they heard my heart they'd hear it cryin'
Where's my darling, when's she coming home
I ask myself a million times what's right for me to do
To try to lose my blues alone or hang around for you
But I make it pretty good until that moon comes shining through
And then I get so doggone lonesome
Time stands still when you're a waitin'
Sometimes I think my heart is stoppin' too
One lonely hour seems forever
Sixty minutes more to wait for you
But I guess I'll keep waitin' 'til you're with me
'Cause I believe that loving you is right
But I don't care if the sun don't rise tomorrow
If I can't have you with me tonight
Well I know I'll keep on loving you
'Cause true love can't be killed
I ought to get you off of my mind
But I guess I never will
I could have a dozen others
But I know I'd love you still
'Cause I get so doggone lonesome
The lyrics of Johnny Cash’s song, “So Doggone Lonesome”, speak of a man who tries to conceal the pain of heartbreak and abandonment. He denies being unhappy, but his heart cries out for his lost love. The lyrics portray the agony of waiting for someone who may never come back, while he sees the world around him moving on except for him. The lyrics suggest that true love is hard to kill and that waiting for love can bring immense pain.
The lyrics reveal a tension between the singer's attempts to suppress his feelings and his need for validation and companionship. He tries to put on a brave face and pretend that everything is okay, but deep down, he is hurting. He is waiting for his love to come back, even though it may be in vain, and he knows that he will keep on loving her no matter what happens. The lyrics show the depth of the singer's emotions and suggest that heartbreak can be a long and difficult process.
Line by Line Meaning
I do my best to hide this lowdown feelin'
I'm doing everything possible to conceal the pain that's tearing me up inside.
I try to make believe there's nothing wrong
Despite my agony, I pretend everything is perfect, but it's not.
But they're always asking me about you darling
Everyone around me inquires about you, and that's excruciating.
And it hurts me so to tell 'em that you're gone
Informing them that you're no longer here causes me indescribable pain.
If they ask me I guess I'd be denyin'
If people ask, I'll probably say I'm okay, even if I'm not.
That I've been unhappy all alone
The truth is, I've been miserable since you've been gone.
But if they heard my heart they'd hear it cryin'
My heart is weeping, but nobody would ever know.
Where's my darling, when's she coming home
All I can think about is you, hoping you'll come back soon.
I ask myself a million times what's right for me to do
I keep wondering what's the best course of action for me in this situation.
To try to lose my blues alone or hang around for you
Should I try to get over this on my own or wait for you to come back?
But I make it pretty good until that moon comes shining through
I manage to keep it together until nighttime, when my emotions hit me the hardest.
And then I get so doggone lonesome
That's when I feel the most brutally lonely.
Time stands still when you're a waitin'
Waiting feels like an eternity.
Sometimes I think my heart is stoppin' too
The waiting is so distressing it feels as if my heart has ceased to beat.
One lonely hour seems forever
Every hour, alone, seems interminable.
Sixty minutes more to wait for you
One more hour to endure while I wait for you.
But I guess I'll keep waitin' 'til you're with me
Despite the agony, I will keep waiting patiently for you.
'Cause I believe that loving you is right
I'm convinced that loving you is the correct thing to do.
But I don't care if the sun don't rise tomorrow
If I can't have you with me tonight, tomorrow has no significance to me.
If I can't have you with me tonight
Being with you tonight means everything to me.
Well I know I'll keep on loving you
I'm certain that I will continue to adore you.
'Cause true love can't be killed
True love cannot be destroyed, it endures through hardships.
I ought to get you off of my mind
I should try to stop thinking about you all the time.
But I guess I never will
I know that I will never be able to get you out of my head.
I could have a dozen others
There may be other people interested in me romantically.
But I know I'd love you still
But I'm absolute that I would still be in love with you.
'Cause I get so doggone lonesome
Because I am so lonely and desperate for your presence.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHNNY CASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anonymous
on Wayfaring Stranger
Wayfaring Stranger - The New Appalachians - Lyrics
I am a poor wayfaring stranger
Traveling through this world alone
There will be no sickness, toil or danger
In that grand land to which I roam
Well I'm going home to see my mother
I'm going home to a morning rose
I'm only goin' over Jordan
I'm only goin' over home
Musical Interlude
I know dark clouds will gather 'round me
I know my way is rough and steep
And beautiful fields lie just before me
Where God's redeemed there vigils keep
Well I'm going home to see my brothers
I'm going home no more to roam
I'm only goin' over Jordan
I'm only goin' over home
Musical Interlude
I'm going home to see my Father
I'm going home no more to roam
I'm only goin' over Jordan
I’m only goin’ where no one roams
I want to wear that crown of glory
When I get to that good land
I want to shout out salvation story
In concert with that blood washed band.
I'm going there to see my saviour
I’ll see his face no more to roam
I'm only going over Jordan
I'm only going over home
I'm only goin' over home