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 One on the Right Is on the Left
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A pickin' singin' folk group
They sang the mountain ballads
And the folk songs of our land
They were long on musical ability
Folks thought they would go far
But political incompatibility led to their downfall
Well, the one on the right was on the left
And the one in the middle was on the right
And the one on the left was in the middle
And the guy in the rear was a Methodist
This musical aggregation toured the entire nation
Singing the traditional ballads
And the folk songs of our land
They performed with great virtuosity
And soon they were the rage
But political animosity prevailed upon the stage
Well, the one on the right was on the left
And the one in the middle was on the right
And the one on the left was in the middle
And the guy in the rear burned his driver's license
Well the curtain had ascended
A hush fell on the crowd
As thousands there were gathered to hear the folk songs of our land
But they took their politics seriously
And that night at the concert hall
As the audience watched deliriously
They had a free-for-all
Well, the one on the right was on the bottom
And the one in the middle was on the top
And the one on the left got a broken arm
And the guy on his rear, said, "Oh dear"
Now this should be a lesson if you plan to start a folk group
Don't go mixin' politics with the folk songs of our land
Just work on harmony and diction
Play your banjo well
And if you have political convictions keep them to yourself
Now, the one on the left works in a bank
And the one in the middle drives a truck
The one on the right's an all-night deejay
And the guy in the rear got drafted
Johnny Cash's song "The One On The Right Is On The Left" is the story of a musical troupe that fell apart due to political differences. The group was known for their ability to play traditional ballads and folk songs, and they were on the fast track to success. However, they had differing political beliefs that ultimately led to their downfall. The refrain of the song is "Well, the one on the right was on the left, and the one in the middle was on the right, and the one on the left was in the middle, and the guy in the rear was a Methodist," which highlights the confusion and chaos that led to their split.
The song also portrays the seriousness of politics in the 1960s and how it could lead to violent clashes. At a concert, the group's political differences boiled over, resulting in a free-for-all that left one member with a broken arm. In the end, the members of the group went their separate ways, finding jobs in different fields.
The song's message is that if you plan to start a music group, it's best to steer clear of politics and stick to playing music. The group's inability to put their political differences aside led to their downfall, and the song serves as a cautionary tale for those who may follow in their footsteps.
Line by Line Meaning
There once was a musical troupe
There existed a group of individuals who performed music
A pickin' singin' folk group
They were a folk group known for their musical ability
They sang the mountain ballads
They performed traditional songs of the land
And the folk songs of our land
They sang songs that represented the culture of their country
They were long on musical ability
They were highly skilled musicians
Folks thought they would go far
Many believed they had the potential to achieve success
But political incompatibility led to their downfall
Their political differences caused their group to fall apart
Well, the one on the right was on the left
The member on the right side was known for having liberal political views
And the one in the middle was on the right
The member in the center was known for having conservative political views
And the one on the left was in the middle
The member on the left side was in the center of the political divide
And the guy in the rear was a Methodist
The member at the back of the group was a Methodist, a Christian denomination
This musical aggregation toured the entire nation
The group travelled across the whole country for their performances
Singing the traditional ballads
They performed traditional folk songs
And the folk songs of our land
They sang songs that represented the culture of their country
They performed with great virtuosity
They put on performances showcasing their exceptional musical ability
And soon they were the rage
They quickly became popular and highly sought after
But political animosity prevailed upon the stage
Their political differences caused tension and disagreement during performances
Well the curtain had ascended
The performance began
A hush fell on the crowd
The audience quieted in anticipation of the upcoming performance
As thousands there were gathered to hear the folk songs of our land
The audience came to hear the group perform the traditional and cultural songs of their country
But they took their politics seriously
Their political convictions were deeply held beliefs
And that night at the concert hall
During their performance at the concert hall
As the audience watched deliriously
The audience watched in excitement, but this soon turned to chaos
They had a free-for-all
They had a fight, with no rules or restrictions
Well, the one on the right was on the bottom
The member known for being liberal politically was knocked down during the fight
And the one in the middle was on the top
The member known for being conservative politically was on top of the fight
And the one on the left got a broken arm
The member known for being in the middle politically suffered a physical injury in the fight
And the guy on his rear, said, "Oh dear"
The member at the back who was a Methodist reacted negatively to the chaos
Now this should be a lesson if you plan to start a folk group
This story can be used as a lesson for those planning to form a folk group
Don't go mixin' politics with the folk songs of our land
Avoid bringing political views into the performance of traditional and cultural songs
Just work on harmony and diction
Focus on perfecting the musical ability and vocal clarity of performances
Play your banjo well
Be skilled in playing instruments commonly used in folk music, such as the banjo
And if you have political convictions keep them to yourself
If you have political opinions, it's best to avoid expressing them during performances
Now, the one on the left works in a bank
The member who was in the middle politically now works at a bank
And the one in the middle drives a truck
The member who was on the right or conservative politically now drives a truck
The one on the right's an all-night deejay
The member who was on the left or liberal politically now works as a deejay
And the guy in the rear got drafted
The member who was at the back of the group, a Methodist, was drafted into the military
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JACK CLEMENT
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