Shifting Whispering Sands
Johnny Cash Feat. Lorne Greene Lyrics

I discovered the valley of the shifting, whispering sands
I found myself in a valley where the sand moves mysteriously and creates a whispering sound

While prospecting for gold in one of our western States
I was looking for gold in the American west

I saw the silent windmills, the crumbling water tanks
I noticed abandoned ranch equipment like windmills and water tanks

The bones of cattle and burros, picked clean by buzzards
I saw the carcasses of dead cattle and donkeys being stripped of flesh by vultures

Bleached by the desert suns
The hot sun had caused the bones to dry out and turn white

I stumbled over a crumbling buckboard nearly covered by the sands
I found an old wagon almost hidden by the sand

And stopping to rest, I heard a tinkling, whispering sound
As I took a break, I heard the sound of sand moving as if it were whispering

Then suddenly realized that even though the wind was quiet
I realized that the sand moved despite there being no wind

I seemed to be surrounded by a mystery
I felt as though there was an air of mystery surrounding the place

So heavy and oppressive I could scarcely breath
It was so heavy and oppressive that it was hard to breathe

For days and weeks I wandered aimlessly in this valley
I spent many days and weeks wandering without direction in this place

Seeking answers to the many questions that raced through my fevered mind
I had many questions that I needed to answer to put my mind at ease

Where was everyone
I wondered where the people who used to live there had gone

Why the white bones
I wondered why the animal bones were white

The dry wells
I noticed that the wells were dry

The barren valley where people must have lived and died
I saw a valley that must have been home to many people who have since passed away

Finally I could go no farther
I reached my limit and could not continue on

My food and water gone
I had consumed all of my food and water

I sat down and buried my face in my hands
I sat and mourned my situation

And resting thus, I learned the secret
While resting, I discovered the truth

Of the Shifting, whispering sands
The mystery of the shifting sands was revealed to me

How I managed to escape from the valley I do not know
I am not sure how I was able to leave the valley

But now to pay my final debt for being spared
I feel like I owe it to someone or something for allowing me to leave alive

I must tell you what I learned out on the desert
It is important for me to share what I discovered in the desert many years ago

When the day is awfully quiet
When it is very quiet during the daytime

And the breeze seems not to blow
And there doesn't seem to be any wind

One would think the sand was resting
You might assume that the sand was still

But you'll find this is not so
But that would be incorrect

It is whispering, softly whispering
The sand is actually moving and making a soft, whispering sound

As it slowly moves along
As the sand slowly moves, you can hear it whisper

And for those who stop and listen
If you stop and listen carefully

It will sing this mournful song
You will hear the sand whispering a sad tune

Of sidewinders and the horn toads
The tune includes stories of snakes and lizards

Of the thorny chaparral
It tells of the plants in the desert with prickly thorns

Endless sunny days and moonlit nights
It also mentions the never-ending sunny days and nights with bright moons

The coyotes lonely yell
The tune includes the sound of a lone coyote howling

Of the stars seem you could touch them
The tune describes how the stars appear so close that you could reach out and touch them

As you lay and gaze on high
While lying down and looking up at the sky

At the heavens where we're hoping we'll be going when we die
The song talks about the hope of going to heaven when we pass away