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.
Take Me Home
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seen Boulder Dam and Frisco Bay
I seen New York City and Washington
Seen Montreal and Saskatchewan and Rhode Island
And I've worked in three all night
Service stations and I drove a truck
Take me home, I don't wanna roam no more
Well, I slept all night in a water trough
Had the flu and the croup and the whoopin' cough
Had the mumps and the measles and the seven years itch
And I can't count the times
That I've had a cold and a sore throat
Not to mention all the times
That I cut my fingers on a sardine can
Take me home, my heart is heavy
Well, I can just see 'em all now just a gatherin' 'round
Mama's supper table when the sun goes down
And my good old pappy when the blessing is said
Fillin' up his plate with black eyed peas
And all that stuff and side meat
And a great big hunk of my dear sweet mama's
Hot buttered cornbread
Take me home, my heart is heavy
Take me home, my heart is heavy
The lyrics of Johnny Cash's song "Take Me Home" are a vivid description of the singer's travels across North America, from Boston to L.A., and all the places he's seen in between. He's been everywhere, it seems - from Boulder Dam to Frisco Bay, from Montreal to Rhode Island. And he's worked hard, too - in three all-night service stations, as a truck driver, and who knows what else. But despite all his adventures, he seems ready to settle down - "take me home, my heart is heavy and my feet are sore," he sings.
As the song continues, Cash paints a picture of the ailments he's suffered along the way - the flu, the croup and the whooping cough, the mumps, the measles, and the seven-year itch. He's had countless colds and sore throats, and even cut his fingers on a sardine can. But despite all this, he longs for the comfort of home - "take me home, my heart is heavy."
The final verse is perhaps the most touching, as the singer imagines himself back at his mother's supper table, surrounded by family and filling up on his favorite foods. He can almost taste the black-eyed peas, the side meat, and the hot buttered cornbread. And as he bows his head for grace, he knows that he is exactly where he belongs - "take me home, my heart is heavy."
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I've been from Boston to L.A.
I have traveled across the United States from the East coast to the West coast, passing through notable cities and landmarks.
Seen Boulder Dam and Frisco Bay
I have seen the impressive landmarks of Boulder Dam and Frisco Bay in California.
I seen New York City and Washington
I have visited the bustling cities of New York City and Washington D.C.
Seen Montreal and Saskatchewan and Rhode Island
I have also visited Canada, particularly the cities of Montreal and Saskatchewan, as well as the state of Rhode Island in the U.S.
And I've worked in three all night
I have worked in three different all night service stations, likely for a living.
Service stations and I drove a truck
I have also worked as a truck driver, likely moving goods across vast distances.
Take me home, my heart is heavy and my feet are sore
I am tired from my extensive travels and want to return home, where I feel emotionally grounded and secure.
Take me home, I don't wanna roam no more
I can no longer handle my itinerant lifestyle and want to settle down in one place.
Well, I slept all night in a water trough
At one point, I had to sleep in a trough designed for animals to drink water from, showing the hardships of my travels.
Had the flu and the croup and the whoopin' cough
I have fallen sick multiple times, showing the negative aspects of travel.
Had the mumps and the measles and the seven years itch
I have also suffered from diseases such as mumps, measles, and the seven-year itch, making my travels all the more difficult.
And I can't count the times
I have lost count of how many times I have been sick or injured.
That I've had a cold and a sore throat
Falling ill with a cold or sore throat has become routine for me during my traveling life.
Not to mention all the times
Additionally, there have been many other times when I have faced difficult or quirky situations.
That I cut my fingers on a sardine can
One such situation is injuring my fingers while opening a can of sardines.
Well, I can just see 'em all now just a gatherin' 'round
I can imagine my family members gathering around the dinner table at home.
Mama's supper table when the sun goes down
I can picture myself at my mother's supper table, enjoying a meal with my family.
And my good old pappy when the blessing is said
I can also imagine my father leading a blessing before we all eat.
Fillin' up his plate with black eyed peas
My father can be seen serving himself black-eyed peas as part of his meal.
And all that stuff and side meat
Along with the peas, he will also be enjoying a variety of side dishes.
And a great big hunk of my dear sweet mama's
My mother's hot buttered cornbread will also be part of the meal.
Hot buttered cornbread
This particular food item is beloved by me, and its mention shows how much I miss my mother's cooking.
Take me home, my heart is heavy
I feel a great sense of longing for my family and home, and I want to return to those things that mean the most to me.
Take me home, my heart is heavy
The repetition of this phrase in the second half of the song emphasizes my deep desire to be back home and the emotional burden that comes with being away from it for so long.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Phil Collins
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