Rosanne Cash Version
Cash's daughter Rosanne Cash recorded a cover version of "Tennessee Flat Top Box" in 1987 on her album King's Record Shop. Released in late 1987 as that album's third single, it was also the third of four consecutive #1 country hits from that album, peaking in February 1988. Randy Scruggs played the acoustic guitar solos on it.
Rosanne Cash recorded the song at the suggestion of her then-husband, Rodney Crowell. When she recorded the song, she was unaware that her father wrote it, and assumed that it was in the public domain. Johnny later told Rosanne that her success with the song was "one of {his} greatest fulfillments." The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll cited Rosanne's cover as a "healing of her strained relationship with her dad."
Specific Meaning of "Flat Top Box"
A flat top box is generally said to be a steel-strung acoustic guitar. This is the kind that Johnny Cash used as a child.
Tennessee Flat Top Box
Rosanne Cash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a south Texas boarder town
Sat a boy and his guitar
And the people came from all around
And all the girls
From there to Austin
Were slippin' away from home
And puttin' jewelry in hock to take the trip
To the little dark-haired boy who played the
Tennessee flat top box
And he would play
Well he couldn't ride or wrangle
And he never cared to make it dime
But give him his guitar
And he'd be happy all the time
And all the girls
From nine to ninety
Were snappin' fingers
Tappin' toes
And beggin' him don't stop
And hypnotized
And fascinated
By the little dark-haired boy who played the
Tennessee flat top box
And he would play
Then one day he was gone
And no one ever saw him 'round
He vanished like the breeze
They forgot him in the little town
But all the girls
Still dreamed about him
And hung around
The caberet until the doors were locked
And then one day
On the hit parade
Was a little dark-haired boy who played the
Tennessee flat top box
And he would play
The lyrics to Rosanne Cash's song Tennessee Flat Top Box tells the story of a young boy from a South Texas border town who had a talent for playing the guitar. In a little cabaret, he would play the Tennessee flat top box and people from all around would come to hear him play. The girls from the town and all the way to Austin would slip away from home and put their jewelry in hock just to hear the little dark-haired boy play. He never cared about money or fame, but as long as he had his guitar, he was happy. He would play and his music would hypnotize and fascinate the people who came to listen to him.
As time passed, the boy disappeared, and no one ever saw him around town again. The girls who used to hang around the cabaret still dreamed about him and remembered the music he used to play. Then one day, on the hit parade, there was a song about the little dark-haired boy who played the Tennessee flat top box. The boy had become a star, and his music had become famous.
The song is a tribute to the power of music to transport people to another time and place. It speaks to the way that music can connect people and bring them together, no matter where they come from or what their background is. The little dark-haired boy may have disappeared from the town, but his music lives on, and his fame has spread far beyond the borders of his little South Texas town.
Line by Line Meaning
In a little cabaret
In a small nightclub
In a south Texas border town
Located in a Texan city close to the border with Mexico
Sat a boy and his guitar
A young man sitting down with his guitar
And the people came from all around
A lot of people from nearby towns and cities came
And all the girls
All the females
From there to Austin
From the town to Austin, Texas
Were slippin' away from home
They were leaving home without telling anyone
And puttin' jewelry in hock to take the trip
They pawned their jewelry to afford the trip
To go and listen
Going there to hear the music
To the little dark-haired boy who played the Tennessee flat top box
Referring to the young man playing music with his guitar
And he would play
He played his guitar for the audience
Well he couldn't ride or wrangle
He wasn't good with horses or farming
And he never cared to make it dime
He didn't care about making a lot of money
But give him his guitar
As long as he had his guitar
And he'd be happy all the time
He would always be content
And all the girls
All the females
From nine to ninety
Meaning all ages of females
Were snappin' fingers
They were clapping their fingers to the beat of the music
Tappin' toes
They were tapping their toes to the rhythm of the music
And beggin' him don't stop
The girls were asking him to not stop playing his guitar
And hypnotized
Mesmerized
And fascinated
Completely engrossed in the music
By the little dark-haired boy who played the Tennessee flat top box
Referring to the young man playing the guitar
Then one day he was gone
One day he was no longer there
And no one ever saw him 'round
He was never seen again in the area
He vanished like the breeze
He disappeared quickly and unexpectedly
They forgot him in the little town
The people in the town forgot about him
But all the girls
All the females
Still dreamed about him
They still thought and fantasized about him
And hung around
They stayed in the area
The cabaret until the doors were locked
The nightclub until it closed for the night
And then one day
One day afterward
On the hit parade
On a list of popular songs
Was a little dark-haired boy who played the Tennessee flat top box
Referring to the young man playing music with his guitar on the radio
And he would play
He played his guitar for the audience to hear
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny R. Cash
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Alice_hope08
Rosanne your dad would be proud of you . You have a amazing Voice
@Alice_hope08
@@gregnormal5101 yes I am a fan of her and her dad
@fred78988.
Hello Tina
@79tazman
John was alive when she redid his song this is from 1987
@tammyhanlon3057
Nobody can do the music like Johnny and Luther, but Roseanne really does a fabulous job on the vocals.
@glencoe8251
Couldn't agree more.
@ameliacullen389
Brilliant song and voice, how pretty she is. Your father would be so proud of you.
@4ljc433
No one, including her Dad, did a better job with this song.
@janelletoby6687
So beautiful Roseanne thanks 🌹🇦🇺
@gregnormal5101
Hello!!! How are you doing today! Please pardon me for intruding into your privacy but I just wanted to know if you're a fan!.... Stay safe!