The song's musical arrangement is deliberately minimalist yet impactful, featuring a mix of spoken word and sung lyrics. The instrumentation includes:
Acoustic guitars
Electric guitars
Piano
Electric organ
These elements create a haunting atmosphere that perfectly complements the apocalyptic themes. Cash's distinctive baritone voice, though weathered by age and illness at this point, adds gravitas to the biblical narrative. The arrangement begins with a spoken introduction, transitions into the main verses with their memorable melody, and concludes with another spoken passage, creating a powerful narrative arc.
The song's inspiration came from a remarkable dream where Johnny Cash found himself in Buckingham Palace with Queen Elizabeth II. In this vision, she cryptically told him he was "like a thorn tree in a whirlwind." This mysterious message prompted Cash to immerse himself in the Book of Revelation, dedicating nearly three years to perfecting the lyrics. The final composition masterfully blends biblical imagery with personal interpretation, weaving together religious symbolism and personal faith.
The song and album have created an enduring legacy across multiple domains:
Critical Reception: The album stands as one of Cash's most celebrated late-career achievements, earning widespread acclaim for its emotional authenticity. The Man Comes Around particularly garnered praise for its sophisticated theological narrative and storytelling mastery.
Media Influence: The song has become a powerful cultural reference point, appearing in various visual media. Its apocalyptic themes have made it especially impactful in productions like Dawn of the Dead (2004), The Hunted, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, particularly in scenes dealing with moral judgment or end-times scenarios.
Artistic Legacy: The unique composition continues to influence contemporary musicians, with its distinctive blend of spoken word, biblical imagery, and country-folk elements inspiring new approaches to religious and apocalyptic themes in modern music.
The Man Comes Around
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One of the four beasts saying,
'Come and see.' and I saw, and behold a white horse"
There's a man goin' 'round takin' names
And he decides who to free and who to blame
Everybody won't be treated all the same
There'll be a golden ladder reachin' downWhen the man comes around
The hairs on your arm will stand up
At the terror in each sip and in each sup
Will you partake of that last offered cup
Or disappear into the potter's ground?
When the man comes around
Hear the trumpets hear the pipers
One hundred million angels singin'
Multitudes are marchin' to the big kettledrum
Voices callin', voices cryin'
Some are born and some are dyin'
It's alpha and omega's kingdom come
And the whirlwind is in the thorn tree
The virgins are all trimming their wicks
The whirlwind is in the thorn tree
It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks
Till armageddon no shalam, no shalom
Then the father hen will call his chickens home
The wise man will bow down before the throne
And at his feet they'll cast their golden crowns
When the man comes around
Whoever is unjust let him be unjust stillWhoever is righteous let him be righteous still
Whoever is filthy let him be filthy still
Listen to the words long written down
When the man comes around
Hear the trumpets hear the pipers
One hundred million angels singin'
Multitudes are marchin' to the big kettledrum
Voices callin', voices cryin'
Some are born and some are dyin'
It's alpha and omega's kingdom come
And the whirlwind is in the thorn tree
The virgins are all trimming their wicks
The whirlwind is in the thorn trees
It's hard for thee to kick against the prick
In measured hundredweight and penny pound
When the man comes around
"And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts
And I looked, and behold a pale horse
And his name that sat on him was death, and hell followed with him"
The above lyrics are from Johnny Cash's song "The Man Comes Around". The song is about the second coming of Jesus Christ as described in the Book of Revelation. The song opens with a reference to Revelation 6:1-2 where the Lamb of God opens the first of the seven seals on a scroll, unleashing the four horses of the Apocalypse. The first horse is white and is ridden by Jesus Christ. This horse represents Jesus as a conquerer, going forth to conquer evil and establish his Kingdom on earth.
Cash then sings about a man who goes around taking names and deciding who to free and who to blame. This is likely a reference to the Last Judgment where Jesus will judge the living and the dead, deciding who will enter heaven and who will be cast into hell. The song suggests that not everyone will be treated equally and that there will be a golden ladder for those who are judged worthy.
The chorus of the song refers to the trumpets and the pipers, the multitudes marching to the big kettledrum, and the voices calling and crying. This is again a reference to the Book of Revelation where the angels blow trumpets and usher in the Last Judgment.
The song ends on a note of warning, that whoever is unjust will remain so, and whoever is righteous will remain so. The last line of the song quotes Revelation 22:20, "He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!"
Line by Line Meaning
And I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder
I heard something so loud and powerful that it sounded like thunder
One of the four beasts saying, 'Come and see.'
One of the four creatures said to come and witness what was about to happen
and I saw, and behold a white horse
I saw a white horse
There's a man goin' 'round takin' names
There is a person traveling around collecting names
And he decides who to free and who to blame
This person determines who is innocent and who is guilty
Everybody won't be treated all the same
This person will not treat everyone equally
There'll be a golden ladder reachin' down
There will be a way for those who are worthy to ascend
When the man comes around
This will happen when this person arrives
The hairs on your arm will stand up
You will be frightened
At the terror in each sip and in each sup
You will be fearful of everything you consume
Will you partake of that last offered cup
Will you accept the last opportunity to be saved
Or disappear into the potter's ground?
Or will you simply vanish into the earth?
Hear the trumpets hear the pipers
Listen to the sound of the trumpets and the pipes
One hundred million angels singin'
A multitude of angels singing
Multitudes are marchin' to the big kettledrum
A group of people are moving toward the big drum
Voices callin', voices cryin'
Hearing voices calling out and crying
Some are born and some are dyin'
People are being born and are dying
It's alpha and omega's kingdom come
This is the beginning and the end of the world
And the whirlwind is in the thorn tree
A fierce wind is blowing through the trees with thorns
The virgins are all trimming their wicks
The women who have never been with men are preparing their lamps
It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks
It's difficult to resist what is inevitable
Till Armageddon no shalam, no shalom
Until the end of the world there will be no peace
Then the father hen will call his chickens home
At that time, God will gather his people
The wise man will bow down before the throne
The intelligent person will kneel before God's throne
And at his feet, they'll cast their golden crowns
And at God's feet, they will offer their valuable possessions
Whoever is unjust let him be unjust still
Those who live unjustly will continue to do so
Whoever is righteous let him be righteous still
Those who live righteously should continue to do so
Whoever is filthy let him be filthy still
Those who are impure should remain that way
Listen to the words long written down
Pay attention to the teachings that have been passed down for generations
And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts
I heard a voice coming from the center of the four creatures
And I looked, and behold a pale horse
I looked and saw a pale horse
And his name that sat on him was Death
The person riding the horse is Death
And Hell followed with him
And Hell was following after him
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: John Cash
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jonnyroxx7172
Three reasons why I love Johnny Cash:
1. He defies any single "genre" we try to put him in, yet he influences many.
2. He lived his life, good or bad, on his terms; no matter what Anyone else thought.
3. Every word he sang, he Believed with all of his soul. That, in & of itself, is almost a lost art in our world.
My country music loving grandmother loved him. My folk music loving mother loved him. My gospel music loving sister loves him. My punk & hip hop nephew loves him.
We all love you for many different reasons, Johnny. He was Bold, Uncompromising, Imperfect & Human. Right to the end. For me, you taught me not to ever sacrifice my integrity. And I never will. Peace. JR.
@stephansmith3570
Johnny Cash is the only man who could sing straight from the Bible and have a secular crowd sit still and listen.
@cornycontent1915
That's the power of any good evangelist 🙏
@GhostinTube
Huh I never would've guessed he was singing from the Bible. Heck Im Not even the same religion as the Bible. But I don't mind, this is an absolute masterpiece.
@normaaliihminen722
@@GhostinTube no Shalom no shalam should have been given it out.
@juster04
I ain't even religious but I would definitely listen to this man who could calm a spartan
@bulldogsbob
Just about every lyric in this song is from the Book of Revelation.
@TheCornhole55
People think being Evil is cool till the man comes around.
@medvolts
The Man knows…
@zenmanokfine
Amen
@rooster1012
Evil will always triumph because good is dumb.