Your Favorite Johnny Cash Song, Please?

[dbt]

Poll question: Your Favorite Johnny Cash Song, Please?

[Nlighten1]

1. Here is a link to the video of "Hurt" by NIN and covered by Johnny

This is particularly haunting because it has Rosanne Cash in it too.

[MissouriTeacher]

6. Hard to choose...

but I really like 'Sunday Morning Coming Down'.

I'm so glad I had a chance to see Johnny Cash perform live a few years ago. He will definitely be missed.

I just wish so-called "country music artists" today would take a cue from the old guys like Cash and Nelson once in a while. :eyes:

[supernova]

11. Can't see link

*

[Terwilliger]

15. With everything he's done, I was impressed with Hurt

I think he put all of himself into the song. That's what made him good.

[trof]

2. I walk the line parody

I keep my eyes wide open all the time.
I keep my pants up with a piece of twine.
Say you'll be mine.
I'll pull the twine.

I'll miss Johnny.

[Superfly]

3. 6 Feet High and Rising

-that was the only one that drove me nuts-o.

I loved his version of "hurt" by NIN

[ronnykmarshall]

4. Jackson

w/ June. I love that song.

[catzies]

39. Me too. That's my choice.

We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout. We've been talkin bout Jackson ever since the fire went out.

I'm goin to Jackson!

[arwalden]

5. I Chose "Ring Of Fire"... But You Forgot "Boy Named Sue"

[supernova]

7. Walk the Line

I guess, but like Bob Dylan, I like them all for different reasons, different parts of my psyche need those different facets of expression.

Asking me to choose which is best is like asking me do I eat only meat, only fruit, or only vegetables. I neeed them all.

We need you Johnny. :cry:

[mac56]

8. "I Still Miss Someone"

Brings a tear to my eye every time I hear it. Check out Fairport Convention's version, featuring Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson.

At my door the leaves are falling
A cold wild wind has come
Sweethearts still walk by together
And I still miss someone

I go out to a party
Try to find myself a little fun
But I find a darkened corner
Because I still miss someone

Oh, no I never got over those blues eyes
I see them most every where
I miss those loving arms that once held me
When all the love was there

I wonder if she's still sorry
For leaving what we'd begun
There's someone for me somewhere
And I still miss someone

[dbt]

21. OMG! Fairport did 'I Still Miss Someone?!?!?'

It must be Nasty Good!

:bounce:
dbt

[mac56]

23. Look for an album called "Heyday".

A collection of live recordings off the BBC between 1968 and '69.
Mostly songs by American writers which were performed in concerts, but never made it to their studio recordings. They also do "Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen.

[tweekinnow]

9. Sunday Morning Coming Down

nt

[ScreamingMeemie]

10. There is no poll big enough, that would allow you to vote for more than

one. Every song this man wrote and sang made sense...and was easy to sing along with. So I won't vote. I'll just say I loved them all.

[ET Awful]

12. His version of 'Long Black Veil" was also excellent . . .

It's not "his" song, it's a traditional, but his version was one of the best.

[dbt]

13. arwalden gets his wish!

Poll has just been edited to include "A Boy Named Sue." Apologies to all whose votes got skewed (screwed?) as a result of the rearrangement!!! Please vote again and often.

Eejit that I am, I aways though the song was beneath Cash. But 60 million happy fans ain't ever wrong!

Memo to John:
:yourock:
dbt

(And how could you POSSIBLY narrow the choices down to five or six?)

[supernova]

16. We can vote only once!

But thanks for the thought.

[dbt]

18. Damn! That's so UnAmerikan!

(Perhaps the Universe is telling me to wait before posting?)

:dunce:
dbt

[last_texas_dem]

14. "What Is Truth?"

Okay, so it's more of a recitation than a song, but I just discovered this one for the first time a couple weeks ago and it's a very moving piece that basically calls the older generation on not being more tolerant towards the "hippie" mentality of a lot of the younger generation (ca. 1970) who Cash claims are simply becoming more aware of what's going on around them and are will be the leaders of tomorrow. Well I'm making it sound a lot drier than it really is; it's a really fine song, but Cash has a lot of great ones. May Mr. Cash rest in peace...

[Rainbowreflect]

17. Which song was about why he always would wear black?

That was my favorite.

[buddhamama]

19. "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."

[Rainbowreflect]

22. Thank you.

That is the one.

[flamingyouth]

27. My favorite too

Although there are so many, I have a hard time choosing just one.

<damn>

[HereSince1628]

20. Ah, lots of memories on the Orange Blossom Special album.

Orange Blossum Special was great, and started me playing harmonica at the age of 10.

All God's Children (Ain't Free) was my introduction to political county music.

Then there was one maybe called "It's all right," or "Don't think twice it's all right?"

[Bridget Burke]

32. "Understand Your Man"

Was termed a "Dylan ripoff" in the link I found:

www.bobdylanroots.com/understand.html

Probably was more of a tribute, although the link mentions yet another song that may have been the original of both. "Borrowing" is an old tradition in folk music; Richard Farina wrote "Morgan The Pirate" about Bob Dylan.

Anyway, Johnny's version shows his attitude:

"Don't call my name out your window, I'm leavin',
I won't even turn my head;
Don't send your kinfolks to give me no talkin',
I'll be gone like I said.
You'd say the same old things that you been saying all along,
Lay there in your bed, keep your mouth shut till I'm gone.
Don't give me that old familiar cryin', cussin' moan,
Understand your man.
SPOKEN: Tidy your bad mouth
And understand your man. "

Famously, Johnny Cash gave his guitar to Bob Dylan at a Newport Folk Festival, sang "Don't Think Twice" on "Nashville Skyline" & had Dylan on his TV show.

In the recent DU "Favorite Dylan Song" string, I voted for "Don't Think Twice" & mentioned the Cash version...

I'd also like to mention his Rockabilly beginnings. His daughter Rosann recently recorded "Tennessee Flat Top Box".

(edited to add Rockabilly!)

[xJlM]

24. Desperadoes Waiting For A Train

Well, it's the Highwaymen, but that includes Johnny Cash.

[zizzer]

25. But ... but ... but

Boy named sue is a Shel Silverstien "song"

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/SongUnid/36714828809E60A848256C9C001E2B9B

Zizzer

[Love Bug]

26. "One piece at a time"

Song about a guy who works for an auto plant who builds a car by stealing "one piece at a time." Too funny!

Yeah, it's a silly song but it goes to show he had a knack for writing all kinds of songs.

[GOPisEvil]

31. Oh yeah - I remember that one!

One of the first Johnny Cash songs I liked as a kid.

[bicentennial_baby]

28. "My name is Sue, How do you do?!"

[AntiCoup2K4]

29. Impossible to narrow it down to one

but just for today, for obvious reasons, I'll go with "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

[NightTrain]

30. "Home of the Blues"

RIP, Johnny! In this age of banal crap being passed off as country music, we will truly miss you.

[DemNoir]

33. Its an insult to a great man

To place a "Boy named Sue" on this list the day of his death.

[arwalden]

34. Why? He Sang It, Didn't He? Did I get the wrong artist? Wrong Song?

[mac56]

35. I don't see why.

It was a song he genuinely enjoyed. Even more so, because his fans loved it.

Johnny did what he wanted to do. If he didn't like the song, thought it was beneath him, he wouldn't have performed it as often as he did.

Add on edit: There were plenty of songs from his 40+ year career that he thought were stupid and stopped performing. "A Boy Named Sue" wasn't one of them.

[HEyHEY]

36. WANTED MAN!

Dylan actually wrote it

[AGiordino]

37. Cocaine Blues eom

n/t

[Whitacre D_WI]

38. "Big River"

[NewYorkerfromMass]

40. There's a great cover he did: Jimmie Driftwood's Tennessee Stud

Man, sitting back with a beer listening to this one is heaven! ....

Along about eighteen twenty-five,
I left Tennessee very much alive.
I never would have got through the Arkansas mud
If I hadn't been a-ridin' on the Tennessee Stud.
I had some trouble with my sweetheart's pa,
And one of her brothers was a bad outlaw.
I sent her a letter by my Uncle Bud,
And I rode away on the Tennessee Stud.

The Tennessee Stud was long and lean,
The color of the sun, and his eyes were green.
He had the nerve and he had the blood,
And there never was a horse like the Tennessee Stud.
One day I was riding in a beautiful land
I run smack into an Indian band
They jumped their nags with a whoop and a yell
And away we rode like a bat out of hell.
I circled their camp for a time or two,
Just to show what a Tennessee horse can do.
The redskin boys couldn't get my blood,
'Cause I was a-riding on the Tennessee Stud.

We drifted on down into no man's land,
We crossed that river called the Rio Grande.
I raced my horse with the Spaniard's foal
'Til I got me a skin full of silver and gold.

Me and a gambler, we couldn't agree,
We got in a fight over Tennessee.
We jerked our guns, and he fell with a thud,
And I got away on the Tennessee Stud.

I got just as lonesome as a man can be,
Dreamin' of my girl in Tennessee.
The Tennessee Stud's green eyes turned blue
'Cause he was a-dreamin' of a sweetheart, too,

We loped right back across Arkansas;
I whupped her brother and I whupped her pa.
I found that girl with the golden hair,
And she was a-riding on the Tennessee Mare.

Stirrup to stirrup and side by side,
We crossed the mountains and the valleys wide.
We came to Big Muddy, then we forded the flood
On the Tennessee Mare and the Tennessee Stud.

A pretty little baby on the cabin floor,
A little horse colt playing 'round the door,
I love that girl with the golden hair,
And the Tennessee Stud loves the Tennessee Mare.

http://www.geocities.com/Nashville/3448/tnstud.html

[dbt]

41. Two Arkansas Treasures:

Cash and Driftwood! Thank you for the post!!

:bounce:
dbt

[NewYorkerfromMass]

42. Arkansas can claim America's greatest living architect too!

Fay Jones.... but that's for another post....:) but glad to help celebrate a great musician!

Thorncrown Chapel- Eureka Springs, Arkansas

[ForrestGump]

43. I chose "A Boy Named Sue" just because it was probably my favorite when I

was a kid, but there're many, many songs that I could rate as my favorite. He produced a lot of good music.

[frylock]

44. cash's cover of soundgarden's 'rusty cage'.

[Norbert]

45. I walk the line

The song is very simple. It is four musical verses that have slightly different lyrics with each set. The difference is the key changes with each sets of verses. I bet there were Nashville musicians at the time kicking themselves saying "Why didn't I think of that?"

This song is classic Johnny Cash. A great one.

[TSElliott]

46. Man in Black

n/t

[zekeson]

47. Don't Take Your Guns to Town

A great Cash song, covered by Steve Earle equally well.

DON'T TAKE YOUR GUNS TO TOWN
Johnny Cash & The Tennessee Two

A young cowboy named Billy Joe
grew restless on the farm
A boy filled with wonderlust
who really meant no harm
He changed his clothes and shined his boots
and combed his dark hair down
And his mother cried as he walked out
Don't take your guns to town, son
leave your guns at home, Bill
don't take your guns to town

He laughed and kissed his mom and said
you're Billy Joe's a man
I can shoot as quick and straight
as anybody can
But, I wouldn't shoot without a cause
I'd gun nobody down
But she cried again as he rode away
Don't take your guns to town, son
leave your guns at home, Bill
don't take your guns to town.

He sang a song as on he rode
his guns hung at his hips
he rode into a cattle town
a smile upon his lips
He stopped and walked into a bar
and laid his money down
but his mother's words echoed again
don't take your guns to town, son
leave your guns at home, Bill
don't take your guns to town.

He drank his first strong liquor
then to calm his shaking hand
and tried to tell himself at last
he had become a man
a dusty cowpoke at his
began to laugh him down
and he heard again his mother's words
don't take your guns to town, son
leave your guns at home, Bill
don't take your guns to town.

Filled with rage then Billy Joe
reached for his gun to draw
but the stranger drew his gun and fired
before he even saw
As Billy Joe fell to the floor
the crowd all gathered round
and wondered at his final words
don't take your guns to town, son
leave your guns at home, Bill
don't take your guns to town.

[mac56]

49. U2 did a great cover of this at the Johnny Cash tribute concert last year.

Slightly ska-flavored. It was great.

[PopSixSquish]

48. Ring of Fire...

which I am listening to right now, but I also love "Ghost Riders in the Sky"

[NewYorkerfromMass]

50. Wall of VooDoo covered it

in quite an interesting way I must say. http://www.wallofvoodoo.com/

[jonnyblitz]

52. so did Social Distortion! The Wall of Voodoo version is awesome

also!

[Davis_X_Machina]

51. Hard to choose. Maybe "Bird on a Wire"....

From the time I was a very young man, whenever I read Abraham Lincoln, in school, or for pleasure, it seemed to me he always sounded in my head like Johnny Cash.