"Big River"

Johnny Cash

Being an attempt to start a possible occasional series of pieces about specific songs and songwriters. 

'Big River' by Johnny Cash has been a favourite haunting song since I first re-discovered it via the David Letterman show with a live version by Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett and Kris Kristofferson (which I have the audio for but can't find on Youtube unfortunately) heck it's nearly s old as me but none the less it has always fascinated me. It's narrative poetic flow is extraordinary. Like Dylan's work, it tells an extraordinary story with economy but with distinct use of words that perhaps could only be Johnny C. A tale of unrequited love addressed to the 'big river' in question (the Mississippi I assume though it is not disclosed?). Losing one's love to another person is common place in country, but to a river unique, I imagine. The story unfolds as our hero pursues the object of his affections, a femme fatale if you will, who remains always out of reach as he traces her footsteps tracking her down from St Louis to Memphis, Baton Rouge finally dismissing her to New Orleans and saying the big river can have her. She always remains tantalisingly out of reach until he decides to give up and sit down by the river and 'dumping his blues in the gulf'. The sheer poetry of the second verse astonishes me and Kris Kristofferson has mentioned it more than once. The rhythms and cadence of it flow like precious few other songs " I met her accidentally in St. Paul (Minnesota)" some of it can sound nonchalant almost throwaway but some is so economical with specific lovelorn language it flows like the river it depicts "then I heard that my dream was way down stream, cavorting in Davenport" is plain wonderful stuff!

Willie Nelson has done this song, as have so many others, one might be forgiven for not knowing who's song it is but for me it is unmistakable. As Kris Kristofferson has said, himself the author of 'Sunday Morning Coming Down' which Cash had made his own somehow, fair exchange being no robbery, it is modern 20th Century folk poetry at it's peak. This is what true Country Music is, it seems to me and has transcended the boundaries of genre. I believe it is as expressive as Bob Dylan's finest writing and stands alongside, the greatest lyric writers of all time.

[thus far I have 14 versions of this and the Highwaymen Youtube version in Central Park is a favourite]

The Highwaymen - 'Big River' live in Central Park


Johnny Cash 'Big River'

BIG RIVER

Well I taught the weeping willow how to cry, cry, cry
And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky.
And the tears that I shed for that woman are gonna flood you Big River.
And I 'm gonna sit here 'til I die.

Well I met her accidentally in St. Paul (Minnesota).
And it tore me up when I  heard her drawl that Southern drawl.
But then I heard that my dream was way down stream cavortin' in Davenport,
And I followed you, Big River, when you called.

Well you took me to St. Louis later on (down the river).
A freighter said she's been here but she's gone, boy, she's gone.
Well I found her trail in Memphis, but she just walked up the block.
She raised a few eyebrows and then she went on down alone.

Now I rolled into Natchez the next day, down the river,
But there wasn't much there to make a rounder stay very long,
When I left it was raining, so nobody saw me cry
Big River, why's she doing me this way?

Well now, batten down by Baton Rouge, River Queen, roll it on
Take that woman on down to New Orleans, New Orleans
Let her go, I've had enough, dump my blues down in the Gulf
It's you she loves, Big River, more than me

Well I taught the weeping willow how to cry, cry, cry
And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky.
And the tears that I shed for that woman are gonna flood you Big River.
And I 'm gonna sit here 'til I die.

J.R. Cash 1956

Johnny and June