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.
Tear Stained Letter
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna mail it straight to you.
I'm gonna bring back to your mind,
What you said about always being true.
Bout our secret hiding places;
Being daily satisfied.
I can see you sitting and reading it,
While you hang you head and cry.I just hope you're not so sad,
You're gonna go down suicide.
I'm gonna write a tear stained letter:
Put it special delivery.
'Cause it's gonna be full of stuff,
That's only known to you and me.
'Bout how every time I get turned on,
You turn me off and bring me down.
It'll be about the darkest news,
That ever did arrive in your hometown.
It'll be about the saddest thing,
Your mailman ever did bring around.
I'm gonna write a tear stained letter,
I'm gonna tell you one more time.
That you still could reconsider,
And come back to being mine.
An' if you think about what I'm saying,
It'd be hard to refuse.
Just be sure you think a long time,
On the answer that you choose.
It will be a most important piece,
Of personal, private news.
I'm gonna write a tear stained letter,Mark it "Personal Private News."
An' I hope you'll keep it to yourself,
An' don't go 'round crying the blues.
Giving off a bad impression,
As to what went really wrong.
When what it was was that suddenly,
The music was all gone.
And this man and this woman got cut off,
In the middle of our song.
I'm gonna write a tear stained letter,
I'm gonna put it to a tune.
So I'll be sending with it,
A sweet melody for you.
And not some red-hot, upbeat zinger,
That'll set your body on fire.
But a hunk of love included,
Meant to take you a little higher.
And to settle on your sweet, sweet mind,
At night when you retire.
I'm gonna write a tear stained letter.
In Johnny Cash's "Tear Stained Letter," the singer is grappling with a relationship that has turned sour. They believe that their partner has strayed from their commitment to always be true, and they plan to write a tear-stained letter as a form of catharsis. They hope that the letter will remind their partner of their secret hiding places and daily satisfaction, but the underlying message is one of sadness and heartbreak.
The singer wants to make their partner aware of the darkest news that ever arrived in their hometown. They still harbor feelings for them and want them to reconsider coming back to being theirs. They hope their partner takes the time to think long and hard before deciding if they want to continue the relationship. The singer is sending the letter with a sweet melody included to take them a little higher and settle on their mind at night.
The lyrics of the song are emotive and convey strong feelings of loss and pain in a relationship. The singer touches on the memories they once held dear and how they have fallen apart. Ultimately, the message is one of longing and hope, but also one of warning that things might not end positively.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna write a tear stained letter,
I am going to write a letter that is stained with my tears.
I'm gonna mail it straight to you.
I will send this letter directly to your address.
I'm gonna bring back to your mind,
I intend to remind you of something,
What you said about always being true.
specifically that you promised to always be truthful.
Bout our secret hiding places;
I will mention our secret meeting places.
Being daily satisfied.
I will talk about how satisfied we were when we met.
I can see you sitting and reading it,
I imagine you sitting and reading the letter.
While you hang you head and cry.
I think you will be crying while reading the letter.
I just hope you're not so sad,
I wish that you are not too devastated,
You're gonna go down suicide.
to the point of feeling suicidal.
I'm gonna tell you one more time.
I am going to repeat myself once more.
That you still could reconsider,
maybe you can reconsider.
And come back to being mine.
And, let us restore our relationship.
An' I hope you'll keep it to yourself,
I expect you to keep the letter private.
An' don't go 'round crying the blues.
Please do not talk to others about it.
Giving off a bad impression,
It would create a negative reputation
As to what went really wrong.
and portray a wrong reason for what happened.
An' I hope you'll keep it to yourself,
I expect you to keep the letter private.
When what it was was that suddenly,
When, in reality, it was only that suddenly,
The music was all gone.
our love and happiness was all gone.
And this man and this woman got cut off,
Our romance was interrupted
In the middle of our song.
during the peak of our relationship.
I'm gonna put it to a tune.
I will compose a song for it.
So I'll be sending with it,
I will attach to it
A sweet melody for you.
A pleasant tune for you to enjoy.
And not some red-hot, upbeat zinger,
Not a lively and energetic song
That'll set your body on fire.
To avoid making you aroused.
But a hunk of love included,
just a part of my love,
Meant to take you a little higher.
intended to make you a bit happier.
And to settle on your sweet, sweet mind,
to have the melody linger in your head.
At night when you retire.
particularly when you go to bed.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOHNNY R. 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