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.
Streets Of Laredo
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I walked out on Laredo one day,
I spied a poor cowboy wrapped in white linen,
Wrapped in white linen as cold as the clay.
"I can see by your outfit that you are a cowboy."
These words he did say as I boldly walked by.
"Come an' sit down beside me an' hear my sad story.
"It was once in the saddle, I used to go dashing.
"Once in the saddle, I used to go gay.
"First to the card-house and then down to Rose's.
"But I'm shot in the breast and I'm dying today."
"Get six jolly cowboys to carry my coffin.
"Six dance-hall maidens to bear up my pall.
"Throw bunches of roses all over my coffin.
"Roses to deaden the clods as they fall."
"Then beat the drum slowly, play the Fife lowly.
"Play the dead march as you carry me along.
"Take me to the green valley, lay the sod o'er me,
"I'm a young cowboy and I know I've done wrong."
"Then go write a letter to my gray-haired mother,
"An' tell her the cowboy that she loved has gone.
"But please not one word of the man who had killed me.
"Don't mention his name and his name will pass on."
When thus he had spoken, the hot sun was setting.
The streets of Laredo grew cold as the clay.
We took the young cowboy down to the green valley,
And there stands his marker, we made, to this day.
We beat the drum slowly and played the Fife lowly,
Played the dead march as we carried him along.
Down in the green valley, laid the sod o'er him.
He was a young cowboy and he said he'd done wrong.
The song "Streets of Laredo" is a traditional ballad about a cowboy who is dying and reminiscing about his life before he passes away. The cowboy, wrapped in white linen and shot in the breast, reflects on his past as he walks down the streets of Laredo. He talks about his former carefree lifestyle, going to card-houses and brothels, before he was shot. He then tells his companion to have six jolly cowboys carry his coffin and throw roses on it. He requests that the dead march be played as he is carried to the green valley to be buried. Additionally, he asks his companion to write a letter to his mother about his death but to leave out the name of the man who killed him.
The song has a somber and melancholic tone, with the cowboy accepting his fate and recognizing that he has done wrong in his life. The lyrics reflect on life's choices and the consequences that come with them. The song is often associated with Johnny Cash, who recorded a version of the song in 1965, but it has been performed by many artists and adapted numerous times over the years.
Line by Line Meaning
As I walked out on Laredo one day,
One day, while walking in Laredo,
I spied a poor cowboy wrapped in white linen,
I saw a poor cowboy who was wrapped in white linen,
Wrapped in white linen as cold as the clay.
The white linen around him was as cold as clay.
"I can see by your outfit that you are a cowboy."
I said to him, "I can tell you're a cowboy by what you're wearing."
"Come an' sit down beside me an' hear my sad story.
"Sit next to me and listen to my sad story.
"I'm shot in the breast an' I know I must die."
"I've been shot in the chest, and I know I'm going to die."
"It was once in the saddle, I used to go dashing.
"I used to ride horses and live recklessly.
"Once in the saddle, I used to go gay.
"I used to live joyfully when I was riding horses."
"First to the card-house and then down to Rose's.
"I used to spend my time playing cards and then visiting Rose's place."
"But I'm shot in the breast and I'm dying today."
"But now I'm dying because of the gunshot wound."
"Get six jolly cowboys to carry my coffin.
"Get six fun-loving cowboys to carry my coffin.
"Six dance-hall maidens to bear up my pall.
"Have six dance-hall women carry my pall.
"Throw bunches of roses all over my coffin.
"Put plenty of roses on my coffin to muffle the sound of dirt hitting it."
"Roses to deaden the clods as they fall."
"Roses will help the dirt fall softly on my coffin."
"Then beat the drum slowly, play the Fife lowly.
"Have someone play the drum slowly and the Fife softly."
"Play the dead march as you carry me along.
"Play a funeral march while carrying me."
"Take me to the green valley, lay the sod o'er me,
"Take me to a green valley and bury me in the ground.
"I'm a young cowboy and I know I've done wrong."
"I'm a young cowboy and I know that I've led a wrong life."
"Then go write a letter to my gray-haired mother,
"Write a letter to my mother who has gray hair.
"An' tell her the cowboy that she loved has gone.
"Tell her that the cowboy she loved is gone."
"But please not one word of the man who had killed me.
"Don't mention the name of the person who killed me."
"Don't mention his name and his name will pass on."
"If his name is not mentioned, it will be forgotten."
When thus he had spoken, the hot sun was setting.
When he finished speaking, the sun was setting.
The streets of Laredo grew cold as the clay.
The previously warm streets of Laredo suddenly became as cold as the clay (used in burials).
We took the young cowboy down to the green valley,
We then took the young cowboy to the green valley.
And there stands his marker, we made, to this day.
To this day, his tombstone for him still stands there.
We beat the drum slowly and played the Fife lowly,
While we carried him, we played the drum slowly and the Fife softly.
Played the dead march as we carried him along.
We played a funeral march as we carried him along.
Down in the green valley, laid the sod o'er him.
We buried him in the green valley, covered him with soil.
He was a young cowboy and he said he'd done wrong.
He was a young cowboy who knew that he led a wrong life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TRADITIONAL
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