I miss Johnny Cash

[Elwood P Dowd]

He is probably the only liberal performer that could make a difference today. Even my repuke friends struggle trying to demonize Cash.

While cleaning out some old files, I found this 2003 article. I like the "Doves with claws" part.

http://www.counterpunch.org/walker09132003.html

<snip>

It's part of the Cash legend that he "came out against the Vietnam War." That he did, but the way he did it is telling. The song in question, "Singing in Vietnam Talking Blues," relates how he and June Carter Cash went to play for the boys overseas, and how much they liked the soliders, and how rough things are over there; it ends with the declaration that they sure hope the boys can come home soon, "in peace." Even Ann Coulter would feel mighty churlish calling a man a traitor for that, or for this little speech he gave at a concert in 1969, right after singing a tribute to the men who died at the Alamo:

Everywhere we go these days, it seems like, all of a sudden, reporters and people will ask us questions -- ask us questions about things that they didn't use to ask. It seems like everyone's concerned about our national problems, about the war in Vietnam -- as we have long been. And they say things like, "How do you feel about the Vietnam situation, the war in Vietnam?"

I'll tell you exactly how I feel about it. This past January we took our entire show, along with my wife June, we went to Long Bien Air Force Base near Saigon. And--

(loud cheering from the crowd)

And a reporter friend of mine asked, said, "That makes you a hawk, doesn't it?" And I said, "No, that don't make me a hawk. No. No, that don't make me a hawk."

(more cheering, not as loud)

But I said, "If you watch the helicopters bring in the wounded boys, then you go into the wards and sing for 'em and try to do your best to cheer them up so that they can get back home, it might make you a dove with claws."

(wild cheering)

And then he sings a peacenik folk song, "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream."

I saw Cash play just once in my life. It was 1995, and he was riding high from the success of his American Recordings album; the concert was in Seattle, and he had just recorded a track with some local rockers, including Krist Novoselic of Nirvana and Sean Kinney of Alice in Chains. The crowd was a mosaic of the city: grunge kids and grandmas, hippies and cowboys, Christians and drunks.

Everybody seemed to love the show. Because everybody loves Johnny Cash.

[Redstone]

1. We all miss him. There went a man.

Redstone

[Richard Steele]

5. I really can't say it any better: "There went a man".

[Redstone]

12. That's indeed the highest praise I can offer anyone of the male persuasion.

On the other side, it would be "there went a woman."

It's all that needs to be said, in either case.

Redstone

[midnight]

39. From what I know about Andy, he was quite the man.

[Richard Steele]

40. I never even MET the guy, and he impressed the hell out of me. nm

[Lusted4]

46. GET THE NEW CHRIS SMITHER CD and read the lyrics as you listen

http://www.smither.com/news.html
It is GREAT.

[Patchuli]

2. I saw him with The Highwaymen

in '95/'96, can't remember. Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristopherson and Johnny. Johnny was the BEST!!!!!!!!!!

[Reciprocity]

3. Ditto

Man In Black

Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,
Why you never see bright colors on my back,
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he's a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,
Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.

Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes,
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought 'a be a Man In Black.

I wear it for the sick and lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold,
I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been,
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.

And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,
Believen' that the Lord was on their side,
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,
Believen' that we all were on their side.

Well, there's things that never will be right I know,
And things need changin' everywhere you go,
But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right,
You'll never see me wear a suit of white.

Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that everything's OK,
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,
'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black

[QuestionAll...]

6. how sorry it is the world never saw a rainbow jacket on him.

:cries:

[QuestionAll...]

4. he was bona fide, nothing phoney about that man.

and the Man in Black got his wisdom the hard way. the only way.
nothing is easy.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

7. Great post . . .

He was my hero too.

He was too big to be categorized or pigeon-holed, wasn't he? No wonder he and Dylan got along so well . . .

[madfloridian]

8. If I told you the first songs of his I loved....I would age myself.

Let's just say I have downloaded every album I can find, and I've seen Walk the Line twice on HBO.

He and Elvis became really famous teen-idols about the same time. I loved them both.

[Elwood P Dowd]

11. I bought a 45 of his back in the 50's

I think it cost a quarter. Still have several of his old LP's that are playable.

[az chela]

20. How about "Ring of fire and "How high's the water mama"

Is that going far enough back for you ????I grew up with John!!!!!

[madfloridian]

33. Oh, yeh, that's getting close.

"How high's the water"....I don't have that on any digital album I have.

[madfloridian]

34. Dupe, double posted.

.

[Coyote_Bandit]

9. Me too

and I appreciated some of the words he had for the self-righteous religious crowd. Lyrics like "what on earth will you do for heaven's sake" and "so heavenly minded you're no earthly good" come to mind.

RIP Johnny.

[QuestionAll...]

13. this one from Dead Man Walking.

In Your Mind

*In your mind, in your mind
One foot on Jacob's ladder
And one foot in the fire
And it all goes down in your mind

Living at the bottom of the stairs in your life
Never a smile knocking on your door
The air is blue and so are you
Prehistoric monsters on the floor

Last verse of your last sont
And God don't hear dead men
The end of the line is in your mind
And you'll be staying in

In your mind, in your mind
Bone for bone and skin for skin
Eye for eye and tooth for tooth
Heart for heart and soul for soul
Somebody said what is true

Lock it up and close it down
The sound of morning like a dove
High beyond the rattle and roar
Look into the face of love

(Repeat *)

In your mind, in your mind
Sunday words are back again
And you'll eat your fun of the middlemas pie But just a piece you understand
You'll get the rest up in the sky

Praise and glory, wounded angel
Shuffling round the room
Eternity is down the hall
And you sit there bending spoons
In your mind, in your mind
Father, son and holy ghost
Sacrificial drops the pain
On a silver planet cross
Sanctification on a chain

They say redemption draws knives
Storms of silence from above
Stop your ears close your eyes
Try to find the face of love

[QuestionAll...]

15. and The Wanderer with U2

THE WANDERER - U2 with Johnny Cash
(U2/Bono) written Gordan Lightfoot ??

I went out walking
Through streets paved with gold
Lifted some stones
Saw the skin and bones
Of a city without a soul
I went out walking
Under an atomic sky
Where the ground won't turn
And the rain it burns
Like the tears when I said goodbye
Yeah I went with nothing
Nothing but the thought of you
I went wandering

I went drifting
Through the capitals of tin
Where men can't walk
Or freely talk
And sons turn their fathers in
I stopped outside a church house
Where the citizens like to sit
They say they want the kingdom
But they don't want God in it

I went out riding
Down that old eight lane
I passed by a thousand signs
Looking for my own name

I went with nothing
But the thought you'd be there too
Looking for you

I went out there
In search of experience
To taste and to touch
And to feel as much
As a man can
Before he repents

I went out searching
Looking for one good man
A spirit who would not bend or break
Who would sit at his father's right hand
I went out walking
With a bible and a gun
The word of God lay heavy on my heart
I was sure I was the one
Now Jesus, don't you wait up
Jesus, I'll be home soon
Yeah I went out for the papers
Told her I'd be back by noon

Yeah I left with nothing
But the thought you'd be there too
Looking for you

Yeah I left with nothing
Nothing but the thought of you

[QuestionAll...]

16. Nine Inch Nails 'Hurt'

I hurt myself today
to see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
the only thing that's real
the needle tears a hole
the old familiar sting
try to kill it all away
but I remember everything
what have I become?
my sweetest friend
everyone I know
goes away in the end
and you could have it all
my empire of dirt

I will let you down
I will make you hurt

I wear this crown of thorns
upon my liar's chair
full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
beneath the stains of time
the feelings disappear
you are someone else
I am still right here

what have I become?
my sweetest friend
everyone I know
goes away in the end
and you could have it all
my empire of dirt

I will let you down
I will make you hurt

if I could start again
a million miles away
I would keep myself
I would find a way

[cautiouslywaiting]

10. Johnny is awesome.

He's my favorite singer. Ever.

[Coyote_Bandit]

18. Who cares if he could sing?

He was honest. And articulate. And he spoke for the everyday person - and those who were victimized by society. And personally he was damned interesting.

His music and lyrics were fairly simple. But they were honest and heartfelt. And fearless. Hard not to respect and admire that. To me, that is the foundation of his widespread appeal.

His appeal reached far beyond his music.

[Frank Cannon]

24. I thought he sang just fine

When Johnny Cash sang a song, you FELT every word. His version of Kristofferson's "Sunday Morning Coming Down" is one of my favorite songs of all time. I can feel the sunlight on my face and hear the echoes on the lonely city street. I swear that song still makes me weep whenever I hear it.

I still miss the man, badly. Johnny Cash kicked ass in just about every conceivable way.

[Coyote_Bandit]

28. Not saying

that he didn't sing "just fine". Still, there are lots of vocalists who have better vocal technique and as a result a much more varied repitoire. But it is not technique or vocal quality that make a listener FEEL and respond to a song emotionally. That requires interpretative skill, an investment of emotions and lots of heart and soul. Johnny had an abundance of that. We are richer for it. It is the difference between painting a masterpiece or painting by numbers.

Johnny sang the first song I ever remember hearing. I was instantly attracted to him and have followed his life and career since. Through the decades I have built quite a collection of Cash stuff. None of which I am willing to part with. I consider myself fortunate to have seen him perform live on a couple of occassions.

[Frank Cannon]

36. I am jealous of you

I never did get to see him perform live. I have a friend who met him backstage just minutes before he went out to perform. My friend was extremely nervous, not having any earthly idea about what to say to a legend like Johnny Cash. Cash came up to him, shook his hand, said he was glad to meet him, asked my friend about himself and just made small talk with him. Then when he his name was announced, he walked right out on stage and launched into another great performance. My friend was totally blown away. I think it's one of the greatest moments of his life.

Cash was one of a kind. His daughter Rosanne is quite something, too. And like her dad, she is on the side of the angels.

[Coyote_Bandit]

38. Rosanne is one of my favs

I was there to see her first live performance after her father passed. It was heartbreaking. Her Black Cadillac CD has captured mush of the emotion. But I have difficulty listening to it.

I am totally jealous of your friend. I never had the opportunity to meet the man and shake his hand. I would have loved to....

[madfloridian]

14. Grapes of Wrath...he said "I was that book."

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,11710,1043707,00.html

"We get to talking about the evils of the world. I mention a song he recorded: Here Comes That Rainbow Again, by Kris Kristofferson. It's a small drama. A pair of Okie kids, a waitress and some truckers are in a roadside cafe. The kids ask: how much are the candies? "How much have you got?" the waitress replies. "We've only a penny between us". "Them's two for a penny," she lies.

It sounds hokey - but it's not, not the way Cash sang it, and certainly not in its first incarnation - the song is based on an intensely touching scene from Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath.

I mention this.

"You know that book?" he says, his face lighting up.

"I love that book," I say. "And you know that book!" Why am I surprised that Johnny Cash has read Steinbeck?

"Know that book?" he says. "I was that book." He smiles at me. It's kind of like being smiled at by Monument Valley, or the Hoover Dam. He pronounces it "Grapesawrath", like Rose of Sharon is pronounced Rosasharn.

"You like that song?" he says, and he pulls over his guitar.

[William Bloode]

17. I was lucky enough to meet him.

Met him in the mid 80's while i was working security for a venue he played at. I will always treasure that memory! He holds a special place for ex-cons and cons like me. Not many people ever stood up publicly for us as he did.

[IndyOp]

29. "While there is a soul in prison..."

Everytime I think of Johnny - I think of Eugene V. Debs... "While there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free."

My favorite local minister is my favorite because he works an effective prison ministry. He doesn't care what people do or don't believe about God, he just goes to see them day after day and tells them how important they are and how much we need good people like them on the outside working for our communities, and for all of the people. And, of course, helps them stay in touch with their family and provides them with practical assistance while they are in jail and when they get out.

[buff2]

19. Oh I miss him too

I also miss June....I always admired the true love they had for each other. You could see it in their faces when they were together. I knew when June died,it wouldn't be long and he would be with her. Not even death could keep them apart.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

21. Dont take your guns to town son

Leave your guns at home Bill
Don't take your guns to town

[Forrest Greene]

30. Don't Take Your Guns To Town

...was the very first record I ever played. It was a 45 rpm single, belonged to one of my older brothers; it was 1957, I was four years old.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

37. wow. half a century later here i am jamming out to it in 1's and 0's

Cash is timeless. immortal.

[Straight Shooter]

22. "I didn't vote for Mr. bush. Let's just leave it at that."

Johnny Cash in an interview with Rolling Stone, 2002. JC didn't want to align himself with any political party. I wonder what he would have to say now about bush.

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6478021/morello_kid_rock_clash

[TornadoTN]

50. Johnny holds a special place in my family

Johnny was a family friend, through my grandparents, who grew up near Carter Fold. The thing that struck me was that my Grandfather, a WWII and Korean combat vetaran and my personal hero, spoke of him like Johnny was his best friend even after he was propelled to mythical heights.

One of my fondest memories was being at a local shopping mall with my grandparents when I was about 10 years old. My grandfather ran into Johnny, who was there doing some Christmas shopping. After some small talk between friends and learning that my brother (who was 2) and I were fans and aspiring to learn the guitar thanks to him, he walked back to his car and picked up an acoustic guitar, brought it back inside and asked the mall staff if he could play a few numbers at the customer service desk. He did this with my brother on his lap and me at his side. Needless to say, he grew quite a crowd for this impromptu session that I can remember just as vividly today at 27 as it was the day it happened. That Christmas, my brother and I both recieved a special gift from Johnny - two shiny new acoustic guitars that I spent many, many hours learning to play and perfect - all with Johnny's music as a guide.

In 2000, Johnny came and visited my grandparents at their home - unannounced. He just wanted to come by and talk with some "common folk". I was in college at the time and heavily involved in Democratic efforts at the time and my Grandfather called me to hurry up and get down to their house! I drove nearly an hour to their house where Johnny and Grandad were sitting on the front porch like two old friends discussing the weather. I went up onto the porch and apologized for my delay - Johnny looked at me and said "You're doing the right thing son, I'm proud of you". That by far was the most significant endorsement of my political and social ideals that I have ever and dare say will ever recieve - Johnny didn't wear his politics on his sleeve - he lived them without much fanfare. He just plugged on and did what he thought was right.

[NashVegas]

52. I Reckon He'd Say Something Like This

[farmboxer]

23. I have worked for Johnny and I have to tell you, he was a very

good person. He was down to earth.

[dbt]

25. "He was the truth."

On the day Cash died, friends and family were looking for a quote--or a paragraph or a chapter--to sum Him up. It is said that Merle Kilgore (who co-wrote "Ring Of Fire" with June Carter) looked up from his grief, tossed off the line above and went back to gently weeping.

THAT'S why John R. Cash would not fit into any convenient box, and why no label would cover all of Him. He was the truth. Not the country truth, or the rock and roll truth, or the left truth or the right truth--just the truth, impossible to contain and the exclusive property of no one.

I just came off ten years of playing in a bar band. Any time we would rock up "Folsom Prison Blues" or "Ring Of Fire" the crowd would go apeshit. Bond daddies, bikers, anarchists, nerds and punk girls alike would fill up the floor, dancing like their asses were on fire. Cash's music was the Crossroads of the Universe. His well had no bottom.

To everyone who misses Him, I recommend without reservation Rosanne Cash's Black Cadillac. The magnificent depth of her hurt and loss will help you cope with your own.

He was the King of Rock And Roll.

:loveya:
dbt
Friendship, Arkansas

[SlavesandBulldozers]

42. amen. and amen. n/t

[B Calm]

26. He was a story teller, & I miss him too. My favorite song "Worried Man"

[H2O Man]

27. I have been

listening to a lot of his music lately. I haven't been able to find a copy of one of my favorite songs he did called "What Is Truth." It was a heck of a good song.

[wicket]

31. God bless Johnny Cash

:kick:

[sproutster]

32. I adore the man. :( Reading one of his autobiographies

There is a part where they were in cuba - They could see the guys on a barbed wire fence with guns.

They get robbed at gunpoint in their home - Two kids did it.

The cuban authorities, catch them... and someone let's Cash know that they are dead.

His thoughts "I don't know what I think of that"

But in his discription he tells you - they were young, but they could have easily gotten spooked and shot everyone. He couldn't put the two together. I don't know why, but that made such an impact on me. All I could think is how f*cking truthful he is.

[etherealtruth]

35. I grew up listening to him ...

...because my almost 70 year old parents adore him. When I'm feeling down I often listen to him on CD (put me at 44 YO). My children love him (ages 10-24).

It really says a lot when a performer's can appeal transcends generations.

[JitterbugPerfume]

41. He was the best

there is (or probably never was ) any better

[FourScore]

43. Amern. n/t

[cascadiance]

44. We need this scene in a show "for Bush"...

http://www.popamericana.com/!/Johnny%20Cash%20FINGER%202.jpg

And I'm sure Johnny would do it in the situation we have today!

[AnneD]

45. I always liked him....

but I came to love him when he took a stand against the Viet Nam War. Same with Loretta Lynn. They took so much crap off the Nashville establishment, just like Buck Owens and even the Dixie Chicks.

They represent the America I know and love, honest and straight forward. You may not agree with their point of view, but you respect their honesty and talent. I stopped listening to C&W stations when they stopped playing these artists.

[wicket]

47. Kick for Johnny

:kick:

[elehhhhna]

48. The Man's cover of "Hurt", here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmVAWKfJ4Go

I defy y'all not to cry.

Then cheer up with his cover of U2's "ONE"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQBrn6trEwI

[madokie]

49. I'm sure this would be the Man in Blacks message to the bush* cabal

my apologies to anyone who is offended

[elehhhhna]

51. Kick for the man

[NashVegas]

53. Haha. Great Minds ...

I just posted the same thing, above.