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.
The Man Comes Around
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Interesting Facts ↴ 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' down
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 still
Whoever 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!"
Interesting facts about "The Man Comes Around":
Interesting Facts
Note: This section uses generative AI, which can be inaccurate.
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
Laura Meng
Judgement is indeed coming, and sooner than we think. Those that believe that the Biblical Jesus of Nazareth died in our place as the only way the Father could forgive us of our sins, are saved.
A - Admit you have sinned
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The gift is offered, but must be accepted to do any good. Also, the gift is FREE to us (no works required, or it would be considered wages that are earned instead of a gift), but gifts are paid for by someone, and in this case, Jesus paid a HUGE price.
B - Believe on the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross and He is Lord
Romans 10:9 That if you shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shalt be saved.
He is faithful to forgive ANY and ALL sins. There are no sins too great for Him to forgive, and none too small to matter.
C - Call upon His name
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
God the Father forgives freely, but it doesn't happen unless you ask for it. Our default position is a sinner heading to eternal punishment in hell unless you ask Jesus to save you.
For good Bible teaching online, JD Farag has teachings on YouTube and his website (jdfarag.org).
Time is short and none are promised even one more day, so please seek Jesus. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you.
chris brown
Thank you for posting this - "Seal not the prophecy of this book; for the time is at hand". It means that the prophecies, beginning with the Seals, were not meant to wait until the 'end-times' as we have commonly thought and preached. I don't know where the preached notion that the Horsemen are only released at the beginning of the Tribulation, came from, but no where does it ever say in scripture that this is so.
In Revelation 5, John had just witnessed the ascension of Christ. Jesus immediately takes the Scroll and begins to open the Seals. It says right there in the 1st seal, and the 2nd - "and he went out...", "and another horse, fiery red, went out". It does not say that the 3rd nor the 4th Horseman 'went out', in those passages.
So, if the White Horse rider went out almost immediately after Christ ascended nearly 2000yrs ago - Who is he and what was his mandate? This is what John meant in his epistles, where he speaks of, "the 'spirit' of the Antichrist, which you heard was coming, and is NOW ALREADY IN THE WORLD", 1 John 4:3. Such a 'spirit' could not even be until after Christ's ascension. The White Horseman, the 1st rider, was/is the 'spirit of Antichrist'.
So, what was his mandate - deception. A war of deception aimed at the church and her message (a beguiling white horse). No weapons (a bow with no arrows), yet the death toll and carnage over the centuries has been uncountable and horrifically bloody. And, the crown he was given denotes that one day he will indeed rule, albeit for a short time.
These riders have been at work since that time, and will keep working til the Antichrist rises and is revealed. The 2nd's job was to 'take peace from the earth'...the consequence of such is hatred and war, and while war has seemingly always defined man's history, the rise of great wars have characterized our times as that 'Day' approaches.
The same can be said of famines. They too have been in our past, but like wars, they have also progressively gotten worse over the centuries. Both the 2nd and 3rd's mandates are gearing up for the worst of them all, the finally, and it is already on our horizon - a severe food/monetary crisis, and a war that threatens to become WWIII with the use of nuclear weapons.
All this might also mean that what we've called the "Church Age", has all along been the end times that we are now seeing intensifying before our eyes. In John's epistles, he seems to verify that this might indeed be so - 1 John 2:18, "Little children, it is the LAST HOUR; and as you have heard the the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is THE LAST HOUR". If it was the last hour way back then - what time must it be now?
https://prophecyhelpnow.com/what-is-going-on-in-prophecy-today/
FlyingDutchman
I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
Anthony Womack
I'm 68. In 1961 i got a new stepdad.😢
He had a reel-to-reel tspe recorder.
Nothin but country music.
Likes johnny cash and a few others.
Country school shut down, yep, one big room 1st through 8th grade.
67 or 68, moved to city schools.
Discovered rock n role😅
Never went back, though still some of the old stuff.
Beatles yea!
HALE STORM
Who are the four horsemen of the apocalypse ?
They are you.
When you ride the pale horse you are a slave to the material world.You are the earth and hell follows.
When you ride the red horse you are a slave to the emotions.You are water and the flood follows.
When you ride the black horse you are a slave to the intellect.You are air and the whirlwind follows.
When you ride the white horse you have conquoured the other three and you ride forth to victory.
Dave Sysygy
I was a boy of ten in northern California and Mr. Cash played at my father's bar.. The bucket of Blood... He drove a black Caddie and his band of five stayed at my folks house in our walnut orchard. He let me drive that big black car, since I drove tractors in the orchard. He was a kind, humble man who enjoyed my mom's pot roast. Said he sure missed country living. One morning he made bisquits and gravy , eggs, ham, toast.....he always sent me a birthday card for years, even when i shipped out as a marine to Viet Nam. no one can fill his shoes. I took him fishing at my secret hole and he was so pleased to catch a four pound bass from the creek. And he released it. kindness was his trait with me.
Random_Hero
so great to hear this story
Hell-me Land
Don't know why I can't believe this story :)
Forty5Kimber
Thank you for sharing this...
Susan Lockwood
Sounds like Mr Cash was as down to earth as you folks. Thanks for sharing 👍
J DUP
Sounds like lyrics to a song :)
dimmkah
This song is literally about the Biblical end of the world yet it makes me feel calm and comforted when I listen to it. Like no matter what happens everything will be as it should be in the end.
Johnny Cash was a genuis and an all around great man. There will never be another like him.
Barbatos Lupus
As the song states, it focuses more on Death the Pale Rider. Now I wonder if Johnny Cash also did a song for War, Famine, and Conquest, the other three horsemen.
Video man
i didnt even realize it was about that but now that im reading the lyrics and actually listening to this, i get it now
Barbatos Lupus
It's not so hard to catch on to lyrics, but it was a bit confusing when i first listened to the song.