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.
Tennessee
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got married in Tennessee
I got a blue-eyed girl
Who thinks the world of me
We got a cabin in the country
And a creek that rolls nearby
And a dog that won't even bark at a firefly
Our clothes just hang outside our backdoor
Ten feet or more
There's a church I can't seem to find
On Sunday mornin'
But I sure found the place that I belong in
And we wear blue jeans
And big green beans
Spend the summertime naturally high
By chopping wood, the next one or five
Saving our money for the county fair
George Jones' supposed to be there
We got forty acres of corn in the ground
Tennessee taters we sell by the pound
Proud as we can be
To live in Tennessee
Mama you and dad have got to come stay with us sometime
I know you love that sweet little gal of mine
You and her could talk about babies
Make some home made apple pie
While me and dad could take a walk
Maybe talk about old times
And we wear blue jeans
And big green beans
Spend the summertime naturally high
By chopping wood, the next one or five
Saving our money for the county fair
George Jones' supposed to be there
We got forty acres of corn in the ground
Tennessee taters we sell by the pound
Proud as we can be
That we live in Tennessee
We are proud as we can be
To be from Tennessee
We are proud as we can be
To be from Tennessee
The lyrics of Tennessee by Johnny Cash are a tribute to the singer's newly married life in the southern state. In the first verse, Cash tells his mother that he got married in Tennessee and has a blue-eyed wife who loves him dearly. They live in a cabin by a nearby creek, with a tire swing and their clothes hanging outside the backdoor. Cash portrays a simple and authentic way of living, where even their dog won't bark at a firefly. He tells his mother about a church he can't seem to find but has found the place he belongs to.
In the second verse, the listeners get to learn more about Cash's life in Tennessee. He speaks of how he and his wife spend their summertime by chopping wood, saving money for the county fair where George Jones is supposed to be. They take pride in having forty acres of corn in the ground and Tennessee taters that they sell by the pound. The song's overall tone is cheerful and optimistic, with Cash inviting his mother and father to come stay and talk about old times while he and his father can take a walk. The song celebrates the simplicity and beauty of rural life while highlighting the singer's love for Tennessee.
Line by Line Meaning
Mama I guess you heard
Hey Mom, I think you heard the news.
I got married in Tennessee
I got married in Tennessee.
I got a blue-eyed girl
I married a beautiful girl with blue eyes.
Who thinks the world of me
Who loves me dearly.
We got a cabin in the country
We have a cabin in the countryside.
And a creek that rolls nearby
There's a nearby creek that flows by our cabin.
And a dog that won't even bark at a firefly
We have a dog that's so peaceful that it won't even bark at a firefly.
Our clothes just hang outside our backdoor
We hang our clothes outside our backdoor to dry.
And there's a tire that swings in the air
We have a tire swing hanging from a tree.
Ten feet or more
It's hanging pretty high up.
There's a church I can't seem to find
I can't seem to find this church I've been looking for.
On Sunday mornin'
On Sunday morning.
But I sure found the place that I belong in
But I found a place that feels like home to me.
And we wear blue jeans
We wear blue jeans.
And big green beans
We grow big green beans.
Spend the summertime naturally high
We spend our summers enjoying nature.
By chopping wood, the next one or five
We chop wood for the future.
Saving our money for the county fair
We save money to spend at the county fair.
George Jones' supposed to be there
George Jones is supposed to perform there.
We got forty acres of corn in the ground
We have forty acres of corn planted.
Tennessee taters we sell by the pound
We sell Tennessee-grown potatoes by the pound.
Proud as we can be
We're incredibly proud.
To live in Tennessee
To live in the great state of Tennessee.
Mama you and dad have got to come stay with us sometime
Mom and Dad, you have to come and stay with us sometime.
I know you love that sweet little gal of mine
I know you love my sweet little wife.
You and her could talk about babies
You and my wife could talk about babies.
Make some home made apple pie
You guys could make homemade apple pie together.
While me and dad could take a walk
Dad and I could take a walk.
Maybe talk about old times
We could talk about old times together.
We are proud as we can be
We're incredibly proud.
To be from Tennessee
To be from the great state of Tennessee.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JOHNNY CASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Reginaldo Andrade
Mama I guess you heard
I got married in Tennessee
I got a blue-eyed girl
Who thinks the world of me
We got a cabin in the country
And a creek that rolls nearby
And a dog that won't even bark at a firefly
Our clothes just hang outside our backdoor
And there's a tire that swings in the air
Ten feet or more
There's a church I can't seem to find
On Sunday mornin'
But I sure found the place that I belong in
And we wear blue jeans
And big green beans
Spend the summertime naturally high
By chopping wood, the next one or five
Saving our money for the county fair
George Jones' supposed to be there
We got forty acres of corn in the ground
Tennessee taters we sell by the pound
Proud as we can be
To live in Tennessee
Mama you and dad have got to come stay with us sometime
I know you love that sweet little gal of mine
You and her could talk about babies
Make some home made apple pie
While me and dad could take a walk
Maybe talk about old times
And we wear blue jeans
And big green beans
Spend the summertime naturally high
By chopping wood, the next one or five
Saving our money for the county fair
George Jones' supposed to be there
We got forty acres of corn in the ground
Tennessee taters we sell by the pound
Proud as we can be
That we live in Tennessee
Read more: Johnny Cash - Tennessee Lyrics | MetroLyrics
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John Taft
I am eternally grateful for this CD. This is Johnny Cash at his peak; his voice never resonated better. And it was recorded at about the time when I had the high privilege to see him and June in Vermont. I hope more recordings from the early to mid-80s are released.
Makani
Yeah, I listen to it almost every day still, amazing little gift from Johnny beyond the grave.
biggiebagle
Love this album and haven't taken out of my cd player since it's release. One of my favorite tracks.
Lee Foster Songbook
the last chorus is pure class .. love the kids backing an the riffs .. an ofcourse johnnys voice .. heaven for the ears!
Andrew P
I know this comment is from 2 years ago, but Johnny Cash's voice looks at 2 years like it's nothing--it shall be eternal! I would really love it if Johnny Cash (maybe a 60s-70s Cash) could come back to life and narrate my life lol, but I don't think I'm quite that important.
Paul Davies
johnny cash's music will live forever. just like bob marleys.
Lewis Crone
This album is terrific, especially this song. It reminds me of his John R. Cash album days.
Lee Foster Songbook
yeah this is one of the highlights ..even though it one of the weakest songs .. the production of it makes it one of the best .. the last chorus is magic!
David Hannah
I just today bought this CD. I LOVE it. Thank you for sharing it with everyone. The first record I bought by Johnny was "I Guess Things Happen That Way". It was on an E.P. with "Ways of a Woman in Love. I was hooked from that time on.
"Johnny", R.I.P.
Larry Spooky
He sure is among the stars.Makes me want to live in Tennessee and I'm from Barcelona😎