Johnny Cash is one of the most respected, influential and essential artists in recorded music. Johnny was a songwriter, guitarist, and singer whose music mixed gospel, blues, rock, and country influences. Johnny’s songs contained three significant themes: redemption, moral tribulation, and sorrow. The paper will explore the main themes in his songs, styles used and lyrical depth, by analyzing ten of his songs. The following study seeks to examine John Cash’s artistic journey from the Folsom Prison Blue period to the American Recordings.
Key Words: Redemption, sorrow, turmoil, raw authenticity, and addiction
Introduction
Johnny Cash is one of the most respected, influential and essential artists in recorded music. Johnny Cash, popularly known as “The Man in Black,” was a songwriter, guitarist, and singer whose music mixed gospel, blues, rock, and country influences (Woodward, 2022). Johnny’s songs had two distinct characteristics: brevity and simplicity. The majority of his songs are not even three minutes long. Johnny’s songs contained three significant themes: redemption, moral tribulation, and sorrow. Johnny had a deep voice, and he sang rock, blues, rock n roll, folk, country, bluegrass, gospel, rockability, spirituals and traditional ballads. The following is an analysis of how Johnny Cash has transformed from Folsom Prison Blues all the way to American recordings. The paper will explore the main themes in his songs, styles used and lyrical depth, by analyzing ten of his songs.
The song Folsom Prison Blues is a well-told story by Johnny Cash. The song came at the beginning of Cash’s rebellious persona and outlaw era. The musical style in the song was well crafted and composed to fit his country and rock and roll playing style. The song Folsom Prison Blues is a bold story that seeks to resonate with individuals in prison and also addresses their lack of freedom (Hamm, 2019). The song aims to help the listeners, in this case, prisoners to have a feeling of freedom although they are locked up. The composition also exhibits Johnny’s ability to make music for people from all walks of life, no matter where they may be or what they might be going through. Folsom Prison Blues is pivotal because it helps Johnny break away from the monotony of making traditional country songs. Johnny Cash can compose songs and incorporate a better sound while helping the less fortunate find a voice.
Hurt” is one of Johnny Cash’s last songs before his death, which occurred in 2003. Johnny Cash is audibly distraught, as depicted by his tone in the song. Additionally, the lyrics point towards an introspective and profoundly emotional state that is expertly evoked by Johnny’s excellent vocals. The song is a good exhibition of his evolution and it shows that he can not only be rebellious, but also he can become open and vulnerable. The song “Hurt” was originally sung by a rock band called Nine Inch Nails or NIN. Johnny Cash did a cover of the song and contributed significantly to its previous success (Magnus et al., 2022). The cover was evidence of Cash’s enterprise and immense talent, which enabled him to succeed in blending different musical and vocal styles to produce a successful song.
I Walk the Line” is a song that exhibits lyrical prowess, distinctive vocals, and commitment to one’s trade. Johnny Cash portrays the role of an outlaw from the onset of his music career. The song continues to show his commitment to making country song styles more intricate and complicated to entertain his listeners. Most notable about the song is Johnny’s ability to tell his story through the use of a low vocal tone that added to the rich style of his music. The song was an oath to humanity and God.
The ‘Ring of Fire’ is a song that depicts Johnny Cash’s prowess in adapting to different musical styles. The son exposes a wide range of expertise that is used to tell a catchy story to the listeners and keep them invested in the music. Cash incorporates the use of electric and acoustic guitar in the country style of music, which adds to the rock and roll style used in the song. The blended country and rock and roll style exhibits Johnny Cash’s sophisticated dedication to providing listeners with an authentic and different experience (Bruce & Lee, 2022). His intricate storytelling abilities are remarkable making him capable of changing musical styles and still making good music. Ring of Fire has a catchy tune and an unforgettable sound because of Johnny’s diverse musical styles. The crossover between country and rock and roll in the song is done successfully.
Another iconic song that showcases Johnny Cash’s development and evolution is “Man in Black.” The song depicts Johnny’s fearless nature and his ability to address controversial topics without being fearful of the repercussions. His ability to dwell on such topics is fueled by his political and social beliefs. In this song, he used his deep bass-baritone vocals to capture the listeners’ ears to ensure that he relayed his message clearly. His rebellious nature continued to grow due to the success of the song, leading him to compose more controversial yet relatable songs. Johnny identified himself as the “Man in Black” in the public eye (Wu, 2023). The song inspired his outfits, whereas, in most performances, he wore black suits. The outfits were in contrast to the cowboy boots and rhinestone suits worn by most country music singers.
Johnny Cash is considered one of the most influential musicians to have performed and written songs that are meaningful and deep. “The Beast In Me” was written and released by Nick Lowe in 1994. The song speaks about the struggle and inner turmoil to keep demons at bay. The lyrics are simple yet very profound. The song revolves around constant battle and inner conflict with our primal instincts. The chorus demonstrates the pain that comes with inner demons. The song is a reflection of Johnny’s struggles with inner demons, depression, and addiction. “The Beast In Me” is a masterpiece because of its powerful lyrics, profound message, and haunting melody (Lever, 2020). The song is characterized by authenticity and raw honesty, resonating with his audience from different backgrounds. Johnny is talented in telling stories through his powerful lyrics. In this song, Johnny could easily capture the essence of situations and characters by painting clear pictures through lyrics.
In his song “Hurt”, the imagery includes proactive subjects such as a snake, war atrocities, a time-lapse video, a nuclear bomb test, survivors and many more. Listeners resonated most with Cash’s version of the song due to its vulnerability. The Cash version features a montage of his childhood alongside visuals of his later life (Ben Mna, 2023). The images show a life withering and life in the boom. The song delves into themes of inevitability of time, self-reflection, and remorse. Cash’s rendition is a raw confession of a man striving for self-forgiveness, seeking redemption, and facing mortality amidst a backdrop of change and loss. Johnny collaborated with various artists to showcase his ability to work and connect with other musicians. For instance, in his version, Cash’s wife, June, is seen in the video gazing at her husband in two instances. The video director showed the rawness of the song by showcasing a weak Johny Cash.
Johnny Cash was famous for producing socially progressive and emotive music. Among his most impactful and iconic songs is “God’s Gonna Cut You Down.” The message in the song is clear and resonates with many people, including people outside the intended religious context. The piece is a timeless classic. The song is not only a song but more of a testament to John’s personality and motivation. The piece showcases the passion, emotion, and grit Johnny infused in his work (Magnus et al., 2022). The main themes explored are redemption and mortality, which connect people from different walks of life. Johnny’s music reflected his values and personal beliefs. In this song, Johnny talked about his spirituality, faith, and the everyday struggles that people have to bear. This song mainly resonated with audiences who best related to the themes of hope and redemption that permeated his music. The song has continued to inspire people to reflect on their actions and has secured its position in popular culture.
Johnny Cash’s evolution is exhibited by his song “Redemption” in the album “American Recordings.” The excellent acoustic sound mixed with country flair helps Johnny continue to capture the airwaves and attract millions of listeners. Johnny shows tremendous artistic expertise as he engages listeners in a story of pain, suffering, and adversity, all leading up to victory due to the unwavering strength of the human spirit (Wu, 2023). The song is complemented by Cash’s distinctive voice and catchy melody combined with lyrical mastery. All elements are utilized perfectly to encourage listeners that past circumstances do not determine future outcomes.
”Aint No Grave” is a song that reveals Johnny’s personality in his last years. The song is based on a protagonist who believes that even after death, he will rise again at the sound of a trumpet. Johnny shares his experiences of overcoming betrayal, depression, and anxiety. The artist encourages his listeners to have faith in God and ignore the false teachings. The three themes explored here are rising above death, the power of faith, and hope (Bruce & Lee, 2022). The album is spiritual and deeply elegiac. Each song comes with its fair share of challenges and mysteries: the essence of friendships, the adversities and joys of simple survival, the pursuit of salvation, the power of faith, and the dream of peace. The song was released in 2010, and it is clear that Johnny knew his time was on Earth.
Johnny said he spent more time on the song “The Man Comes Around” than any other piece he has ever done. The song is considered Johnny’s most significant tune. The song is drawn from the Book of Revelation, with a few lines from different biblical sources. The song is a deeply personal message to his listeners about the Christian faith. The majority of the biblical references used in this song are cryptic. Through his songs, the audience can clearly see that Cash’s influence surpassed the realm of music (Hamm, 2019). Through this song, Johnny is a cultural icon who represents resilience, authenticity, and rebellion. Cash’s image as “The Man in Black” became equal to nonconformity and counterculture. Johnny’s persona and music have inspired many artists from different cultures, leaving a mark on popular culture.
Conclusion
Conclusively, it would be fair to describe Johnny’s music as a special blend of blues, gospel, folk, rock and roll, and country. All of Cash’s songs were characterized by a powerful voice, distinctive sound, storytelling abilities, and raw honesty. Cash was a legend and a genius when it came to using the guitar in his songs, adding severity to his melodious voice. In his deep voice, he has composed songs with different styles. Johnny’s voice did not fail him even when he became weak. Of all the songs written, Johnny’s version of “Hurt” is the most touching song ever sung. Even after his death, Johnny is considered the most outstanding musician of all time. Cash’s work is not complex. Instead, the songs come down to a sort of musical trinity: a story, a voice, and a melody. John is indeed a musical master. He is a great singer, songwriter, and guitar player. His work continues to resonate with his listeners, and this qualifies him as a classic performer and songwriter.
References
Ben Mna, I. (2023, January). This Country Ain’t Low—The Country Music of Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash as a Form of Redistributive Politics. In Arts (Vol. 12, No. 1, p. 17). MDPI.
Bruce, J., & Lee, T. (2022). Southern Music Icons of Hendersonville, Tennessee. Arcadia Publishing.
Hamm, M. S. (2019). Charisma, Prisoner Radicalization, and Terrorism. Appearance Bias and Crime, p. 208.
Lever, B. (2020). The Transformative Power and Influence of American Popular Music Lyrics During the Vietnam War in the Sixties and Seventies.
Magnus, C., Magnus, P. D., Uidhir, C. M., & McClamrock, R. (2022). Appreciating covers.
Woodward, C. E. (2022). Country Boy: The Roots of Johnny Cash. University of Arkansas Press.
Wu, K. (2023). How Johnny Cash Influences Popular Music: Taking Man in Black as an Example. Art and Society, 2(6), 47–53.
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