Remembering Johnny Cash (February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003)

Roll it on . . . . . 

 Remembering Johnny Cash (February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) 

"You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don't try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it. You don't let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space."

Songwriting is a very strange thing, so far as I'm concerned. It's not something that I can say, “Next Tuesday morning, I'm going to sit down and write songs.” I can't do that. Can't — no way. If I say, “I'm going to the country and take a walk in the woods next Tuesday,” then the probability is next Tuesday night I maybe can write a song, you know? Creative people have to be fed from the divine source. I do. I have to get fed. I have to get filled up in order to pour out. Really have to.

Photo Credit: Don Hunstein

Don's Tunes

Writer of some of my favourite ‘country’ folk songs story songs the heart of Americana right there. . . . 

Get Rhythm - Johnny Cash on Jools Holland 

Johnny Cash - Big River 

(The Best Of The Johnny Cash TV Show)

Johnny Cash - Big River | O My Soul

 If you ever wonder about the writing of country music check this . . a perennial favourite always wort checking out what Kris Kristofferson thought about it! Pure poetry essentially

O My Soul

Johnny Cash: Big River

I think I first heard this on the Letterman show by Kris, and Lyle Lovett amongst others and have adored it as a story telling masterpiece of western music without equal!

Now I taught the weeping willow how to cry,

And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky.

And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you Big River.

Then I’m gonna sit right here until I die.

I met her accidentally in St. Paul (Minnesota).

And it tore me up every time I heard her drawl, Southern drawl.

Then I heard my dream was back Downstream cavortin’ in Davenport,

And I followed you, Big River, when you called.

Then 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.

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, won’t you batter down by Baton Rouge, River Queen, roll it on.

Take that woman on down to New Orleans, New Orleans.

Go on, I’ve had enough, dump my blues down in the gulf.

She loves you, Big River, more than me.

Now 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 cried for that woman are gonna flood you Big River.

Then I’m gonna sit right here until I die.

As Sealyman dropped by to comment upon the lyrics and appreciating this masterpiece I also found this”

When Johnny Cash performed the song in 1985 with The Highwaymen (Cash, Kris Krisofferson, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson) a new verse was addded - not on the original Cash recording nor in Bob Weir's versions (thanks to Jon Krulish for pointing this out):

Well, I pulled into Natchez next day down river

But there wasn't much there to make the rounders stay very long

When I left it was raining so nobody saw me cry

Big river, why she doing me this way