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.
When I Think of You
Johnny Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I think of you and I remember everything
When someone that we knew brings up the things we used to do
I start to feeling lonely, and my heart breaks right in two
I see your face in every daydream that I know
Can't sleep at night because I need and miss you so
Just when I think that I'll forget and find somebody new
I close my eyes and make believe you're standing near
I whisper "I love you" and make believe you hear
I tell the world that no one else will ever, ever do
It seems as if you're with me when I think of you
The lyrics to Johnny Cash's song "When I Think Of You" describe the feelings of loneliness and heartbreak when thinking of a past lover. The song speaks of the memories and emotions that are triggered by hearing songs, seeing familiar places or people, or even just daydreaming. Each time the memory of the lost love comes up, the singer's heart breaks all over again. The lyrics describe the struggle to forget and move on, but also the constant and overpowering reminders of the past. The lines "Can't sleep at night because I need and miss you so" and "Just when I think that I'll forget and find somebody new, I get that empty feeling, and I think of you" demonstrate the internal battle that the singer is facing in trying to move on.
Throughout the song, the singer also talks about the comfort that comes from imagining the lost love still being present. The lines "I close my eyes and make believe you're standing near, I whisper 'I love you' and make believe you hear" demonstrate this desire to hold onto the memories and perhaps even the hope that the love could be rekindled. The song depicts the complexity and depth of emotions that come with losing someone and the struggle to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
I think of you when I hear songs we used to sing
I associate memories of you with the music we once enjoyed together.
I think of you and I remember everything
Thoughts of you bring back a flood of memories, both good and bad.
When someone that we knew brings up the things we used to do
Recollections of shared experiences with people we know make me think of you.
I start to feeling lonely, and my heart breaks right in two
Memories of you make me feel isolated and my heart feels heavy with grief.
I see your face in every daydream that I know
You are constantly in my mind, even when I'm not thinking about you.
Can't sleep at night because I need and miss you so
The longing for you is so intense that it keeps me awake at night.
Just when I think that I'll forget and find somebody new
Occasionally, I feel like I'll move on, but then I realize that I'm incapable of that.
I get that empty feeling, and I think of you
I feel an emotional void that only thoughts of you can fill.
I close my eyes and make believe you're standing near
I often imagine that you're physically present with me to deal with loneliness and missing you.
I whisper "I love you" and make believe you hear
As comforting as the thought of your presence is, it never fills the void of being able to hold and talk to you again.
I tell the world that no one else will ever, ever do
I express to everyone that no one can ever take your place in my heart.
It seems as if you're with me when I think of you
My thoughts of you feel so real that it seems like you're still with me in some way.
Contributed by Caleb K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Tsalagi46
First time we heard that !!!! Thanks for posting.
@astrozeta8715
I translated this beautiful song to the spanish, if someone want the lyric please let me know.
Traduje esta hermosa canción al idioma español, si alguien quiere la traducción hagamelo saber que con gusto se la doy.
Thanks - Gracias :)
@cashfanman
Thanks for posting.Sure I have not heard this one before.
@edithalemm2604
Schön gesungen, aber ist das wirklich johnny cash???
@MC-xv2tn
Yes it is, it’s just old quality