Singer did not mention any of his best-known songs, but rather a strangely “happy” track in his discography
It is not easy to select highlights from the extensive repertoire left by Johnny Cashan outlaw country icon who left us in 2003. Generally, the Man in Black’s best-remembered songs aren’t exactly “happy” — but the one he mentioned as his favorite sounds that way.
In 1982, Cash participated in the program TV 60 Minutespresented by Harry Reasonerwho asked him what his favorite song from his catalog was. At first, the artist made a reference to his most famous song, but tried to say that this was not his favorite.
In the words of Johnny:
Well I guess I should probably say ‘I Walk the Line’because it is the one that sold the most. But the one that really means the most to me, that says the most to me in my life is ‘Pickin’ Time’. The message of the song is that good times are coming for all of us. Harvest time.”
“Pickin’ Time” is one of the tracks The Fabulous Johnny Cash (1958), second album released by the singer. Composed only of Cashthe song is less than two minutes long. Its lyrics address life in the countryside and the harvest time (“picking time”), when abundance arrives for people who make a living from agriculture.
It’s a song a little different from the artist’s great classics. However, it fits perfectly with its roots. Cash He was raised in a small town in the interior of the American state of Arkansas and, like all people of rural origin, he experienced many “pickin’ times”.
The dark side of Johnny Cash
In the same 1982 interview, Harry Reasoner asked about the more serious and darker side of Johnny Cash. His biggest hits deal with difficult situations in life, which, combined with his look of always wearing dark clothes and his deep voice, helped create the myth of the Man in Black.
About this, the singer responded:
Roy Orbison There was a verse in a song called ‘My Best Friend’ which said: ‘a diamond is a diamond and a stone is a stone, but man is part good and part bad’ (‘a diamond is a diamond and a stone is a stone, but man is part good and part bad ‘). I recognize the fact that I am part good and part bad.”
Outlaw country
Johnny Cash He was one of the artists who gave rise to the genre known as outlaw country, a segment of the American genre that played the “role” of the outlaw. Lyrics about crimes, sentences and the life of an “outlaw” were frequent.
The singer’s serious posture, combined with the fact that he always wore black clothes – simply because, according to him, they were easier to keep clean on tour – created the image of the style. Names like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Paycheck and David Allan Coe also stood out in the segment.
Collaborated: André Luiz Fernandes.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
