Johnny Cash: Dead at 71. What made Johnny Cash so ultra cool was his anti-establishment attitude. He wasn’t going to let whatever the mainstream country music executives tell him what to do. He was going to do things his way. That’s why he was unique. Even played a few concerts in prisons. When was the last time you heard Shania Twain do that?
Some of my favorite Cash songs:
- Ring of Fire – This might be the definitive Johnny Cash song. This song never gets old.
- Folsom Prison Blues There’s a line that echos in my mind about this. “….bet there�s rich folks eating in a fancy dining car they�re probably drinkin� coffee and smoking big cigars.”
- One Piece at a Time – A hokey song about stealing Cadillac parts. It’s pretty funny if you listen to the whole song.
- If I Were a Carpenter – a song which shows John’s love for June. I picked up on this song when June died a few months ago.
- One – (U2 cover) Powerful song. You can tell that Cash’s voice is somewhat weak in this. Yet in some ways the cover is better than the original.
- Personal Jesus – (Depeche Mode cover) – Another strange bird. Probably wouldn’t have heard of this song if Cash hadn’t covered it.
- Hurt – (Nine Inch Nails cover) – barely noticeable on the original NIN album years ago. Cash took the song and made it his own. The video for this song is compelling. Cash is seen in his house peering over old pictures. Throughout we see video and stills of Cash in his prime. Really showed what he had been through. Perhaps the song is an allegory for his drug use years ago and how it affected him. “And you could have it all. My empire of dirt…”
I realize that I’ve only scratched the surface on Cash’s discography. And many of my favorite songs are covers. These are the songs that I know. The songs that I look forward to hearing.
Update: 9/13/03
“To hear that Johnny was interested in doing my song was a defining moment in my life’s work. To hear the result really reminded me how beautiful, touching and powerful music can be.”
–Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails