You asked why he wore black. In his own words, from the song Man in Black: “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."
When Johnny was a kid his brother, Jack, who was just a few years older than he was went to work at a sawmill and fell into the saw and nearly cut himself in half. He lived a few days but ultimately died of his horrible wounds. Unforgivably, Johnny's father told him that "the wrong son died, because that should have been you." I can't even imagine how much "hurt" that particular statement from his father caused him. Jack had planned to be a preacher, which his father thought was a much more honorable vocation than messing around with music and he never fully accepted Johnny's musical career, even when that career allowed him to lift his entire family out of poverty. In his heyday, out of every five records that were sold in the US, one of them was by Johnny Cash. I loved his music but I loved him as a person. He had a serious addiction to drugs which got the better of him more than one time in his life but he had a kind heart and he was a good man. I don't want to sound like Annie Wilkes, but I have been a fan of Johnny Cash since the mid-50's when he released his first hit record, Cry, Cry, Cry and though I never even met him, I regarded him almost like he was one of my brothers and when he died, I cried for days. You asked why he always wore black, well he wrote a song called "Man in Black" which starts, 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. He goes on to give more reasons he wears black but you really need to react to it so you can hear the rest of the reasons. The images of Christ in this video came from the movie Gospel Road which was the story of the life of Christ that Johnny wrote and produced in 1973. He wrote all the music that was in the movie and released it on an album. This could be one reason he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Johnny Cash was a legend for a reason and in my opinion there will never be anyone who can fill his shoes.
@@colleenmcclurg2010 I never used to be a country fan either. Frankly I've lost a couple of teeth in mosh pits over the years. Within the last couple of years I learned what Country music actually is, though - and it isn't what gets played on the radio 17 times a day. Every genre has its mass-produced garbage; I'm just disappointed that at this point I'm pushing 40 and finally understanding what that means.
I would say he did a fair ministry himself, through his songs. He preached in the only language people trust- humility, openness, sincerity, humor and vulnerability. That is a through line in all his work.
To be fair, both versions are incredibly heartfelt. NIN version in my opinion is more from the point of view of someone who is young and in the midst of addiction. Cash is obviously the old man who lived through all that and is looking back. They are practically two different songs.
saw him close up and caress the piano in the reflection of your glasses. that was his swan song. last time on film. June died shortly after...followed soon after by johnny. left us a rich legacy in his whole body of work. love the man in black. thanks for this little reminder of yesteryear, bro. go w/ God. peace and love to you and yours. shoutout from just an old longhaired Southern rocker dude in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Johnny Cash had issues throughout his life, drug abuse, depression, loss and near the end he was dealing with diabetes & insulin injections . His greatest loss was the death of his sweet wife, who saved him from self destruction. His music also was salvation for him & for the inmates at the jails he performed at & the messages he gave the inmates & the love he gave. The inmates loved Johnny 💜☮️🥰 ** Some of Amy Wine house’s songs have messages like Johnny Cash’s sadder songs. Johnny recorded this song before he passed, so people would hear his true message Also Johnny had just lost his sweet wife who died a few months before Johnny 😢💔❤️🩹☮️ RIP Johnny, you can rest and share your place in heaven with those you loved 💫
@suzie4417, My late uncle knew Johnny from the prisons. But he was friends with him. They all respected Johnny so much! That's why when you see him playing in the prisons, the guards are enjoying themselves bc they know that there's not gonna be any 'problems' as long as Johnny is around. And my uncle used to basically only listen to Johnny, and when he was mad at me for whatever reason he would play it as loud as possible 😅...bc I wasn't really into it then, yes I was raised on music like that but he played it so much it would drive me crazy..lol. Last night was the anniversary of my uncle's passing (in my arms) ....and now I love Johnny like he did ❤. He told me all the stories n asked me to write a book about his life and I think I am going to now.
When this video came out I cried because I knew he was saying goodbye to us. He's saying material belongings mean nothing. We hurt each other if we mean to or not. June Carter Cash, his wife in standing on the stairs. Man in Black should be your next Cash song. It gives you more insight into who he was.
This song is about pain and addiction and the fact that it made you emotional is a good thing. It means you have empathy which a lot of people seem to lack.
When Trent Reznor wrote this song it was a private reflection about a young man's own self-loathing and drug addiction. When Johnny Cash sang it, and I think this is a mark of the man's genius, it opened up to become a song about an old man at the end of his life staring back through time at all of the people who are gone, who he can't get another moment with, but who he is preparing to join. The self-loathing turns almost into half bitter acceptance, half defiant rally cry. He has regrets, but just as much he has nothing left to hang onto. We as the audience feel his years ourselves, and get a second hand feeling of those lost opportunities... which is honestly rather remarkable. The instrumentation build just hints at the threshold he's approaching and about to cross and it really seals the deal.
On the black clothes, Cash said in a song "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." He was deeply connected to everyone that others discarded or deemed unworthy due to his own harsh life. It's why he played so many prison concerts and one of the reasons why the country stations stopped playing him and his music popped up on alternative one's instead. He just didn't fit in with where country music had gone.
The photo on the wall was his mother. His wife, June Carter Cash, was the woman on the stairs and she died just shortly after this was filmed with Johnny following her a few months after that. He never opened that piano again once he closed it at the end. Cash dealt with addictions to alcohol, pills - amphetamines and barbiturates then in his last years he was dealing with diabetes (referencing the needle). There were bouts of infidelity and he spent a few overnights in jail but never went to prison other than to perform.
His wife just came down to watch him record the video. When they saw how she looked at him, they asked her if they could include her. She stood by him for 35 years. Him getting clean of his addictions was her condition for marriening him and even when he relapsed she stayed with him and helped him get clean again. Just by the way she looks at him you can see she still very much loves him. (he was clean for about 10 years at that time). The video was shot in large parts at the House of cash - a museum about Johnny Cash that was closed by that time and in disrepair. Another thing I find haunting is the golden light that hits him almost horizontally causing hard shadows. It's giving me sunset in autumn.
I’m sorry but you are wrong about the lyrics. Trent Reznor wrote this song about his addiction to heroine, thats what the needle reference is. Not diabetes. However, his battle with pills is pretty much the same as heroine they are both opiods and it is a vicious thing that tears everything up. I am a recovering addict, clean for 11 years now, and it took me so long to get here.
My Grandmother lived to 94. She outlived her husband. She watched ALL their friends pass. My Grandparents were married 70 years. My Grandfather truly treated my Grandmother like a Queen. The final loss was outliving her son. She was sharp as a tack. She drove until 91. She wasn’t ever sick. In the weeks before she died she said living this long she wishes on no one. She was in pain and grieving so I could understand why she said that. My Grandparents love story was always visible. She talked to me about so much. I will always be grateful I had them as long as I did. She went into congestive heart failure. I got to the hospital later than everyone that day. She wasn’t with us anymore. She was kept comfortable. When I sat on her bed and said hello she made several movements. I believe she can hear me. Everyone said she hadn’t moved all day. I bent down and kissed her on the cheek. I whispered in her ear so no one could hear. I said do you see Grandad and your son. It’s ok to go. We will be fine and I will see you again. She passed that night after I left. Such a special memory for me. Losing your family members could feel like a needle to the heart. Watch the movie about Johnny Cash and June Carter. Best love story. She passed away and Johnny followed just a few months later. It might have been a year . I can’t remember. Once you know their love story you will see where his emotions are coming from.
I lost my grandmother in January, she was 4 months short of being 100. She outlived my grandfather, 2 of her 5 kids, all of her friends, and her whole family that she grew up with. She told me years ago that she had done everything she ever wanted to and saw things that she never dreamed would be possible when she was young, she had no regrets, and when her time came she was ready to go. It must be amazing to be at the end of your life like that.
We lost my grandmother in Jan at the tender age of 96. Her mom died when she (my grandmother was 12), her son died when he was 22, my grandfather died in 2017. Ever since he passed, she’s said she was ready to go. We miss her terribly but we rejoice knowing that she’s with all those who went before her.❤
She sounds very much lie my Grandmother. She died a few weeks away from being 100. She talked about how lonely she felt seeing everyone she knew pass away. The day she had a stroke, she called me up. When I got there she said she was sorry. I told her not to be and that I loved her dearly. I was responsible for her health care decisions. It was the hardest week in my life. I followed her wishes and made sure she was comfortable. I was there every day and had her favorite songs playing. Like Mr. Cash says, "Everyone I know goes away in the end". Many years later I can fully understand this.
@@Kriskat6 I really do think it would be hard to outlive my children. If I do live that long I really hope my children outlive me. I can’t imagine losing them when I’m that old. I completely understand why my Grandmother said what she did the older I get. My youngest child flew the nest last year and that is so hard. He went in the military so it’s even harder because I can’t see him much. Thank God for FaceTime! My daughter lives near by and I’m thankful for that too.
I'm 74 and displaced by Hurricane Ian and I'm looking at my "stuff". I'm relating to him on some level and trying to examine my decisions to accumulate an empire of crap. Selecting and sorting the treasures from the "stuff". These words don't fit completely but just enough to make me uncomfortable. Johnny's delivery is what made him the ultimate storyteller.
No worries, no matter what life, no matter where we are, where we go, where we end up, the world keeps turning, and will always have beauty and be amazing. Try and keep positive. ☕☺️ [Solo]
I want to add another dimension to: “I will let you down, I will make you hurt”. People have mentioned Trent Resnor wrote this and he’s done interviews talking about the meaning on his end. I’m an old school cash fan and know a bit about his life. I’m also a 90’s girl so I remember 9 inch Nails version and how it made me feel… like young people making mistakes and in the case of the song, a young man telling the people around him to beware because his problems will make him a relationship liability. He will hurt you even though it’s because he’s hurting himself. In the cash version I think he is referring in part to his past where he, like the young man in the original version literally let people down and hurt them. Then as I watched the video I got another feeling. That sense of time passing and the effects of aging. Your body lets you down. Your talents become unreliable. You reach a point where you can no longer say for certain if you will be here even tomorrow. You watch your friends and people around you fade and die. I’m an older mom with a toddler. My baby asked me yesterday if I would be with her forever. I told her yes, but someday I will have to tell her: “I will let you down, I will make you hurt”. In the end, I will leave her and all I love behind. Cash knew he was leaving too. We none of us can stay forever. We will all leave people hurt.
I have loved Johnny Cash for as long as I can remember. I got to see him when I was 9 and I got to go back stage to meet him. I was so awestruck that couldn’t even say anything. But I did get his autograph 😂
The song was originally written by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails and deals with heroin addiction and depression. Johnny Cash asked to cover it, and Reznor was skeptical, but allowed it. Once he saw the video he praised it's sincerity and said that the song no longer belonged to him (he likened it to losing a girlfriend). Johnny Cash took the song and made it (IMO) about a man reflecting on his life and the mistakes he made. His wife June (who is in the video) passed in May, 3 months after the video was shot. Johnny passed in September of the same year, just 4 months after his wife. The final scene of him putting the cover down on the piano and his trembling hands running over the top feels like a farewell to music, and to life. This will always be my favorite Johnny Cash song.
Even though he didn't write this song, it had meaning to him which is why he sang it. He's saying everyone you love dies, his empire of dirt, all he has accomplished or bought means nothing in the end. His mother died, his wife, who was still alive at the time, died within a few weeks, then he died within a few months, and once you're gone all your belongings mean nothing. Either your soul is saved or it isn't. Very powerful song.
Man in Black released February 16, 1971, he says, "I wear 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".
As others have said this is Johnnys cover of a song from Nine Inch Nails, and was Johnnys last recorded song before the death of his wife and shortly after, himself. Both the original and cover are sad emotional songs about regret, drug abuse, etc. but the different places and styles of the artists drastically change the song. 9IN was a both softer and more energetic song about the regrets of the young singer the drug addiction and loss of self identity that came with the fame. It’s energy comes from the anger and rage that the young often react to their mistakes and regrets, angry that things didn’t turn out right, knowing they could be different; and it’s overwhelming sadness and depression stems from the tragedy of someone so young having so many regrets in their short life. Cash’s is a smoother and simpler song coming from his smooth and deep but beautifully weathered voice. It’s about the regrets and pain accumulated over the years of an old man’s life. Johnny also struggled with drug abuse throughout his career and could relate to the original song. But the many regrets of an old man at the very end of his life has an entirely different kind of tragedy and sadness than the many regrets packed into the few years of a young man because the young man still has many years of his life to sort himself out either atoning or moving on while the old man can only look back and remember, his time to do better is over. This feeling is heightened when one knows that this is the old man’s last song, his final goodbye and final regrets. Hurt is a beautifully written song to portray so different kinds of emotion in so different styles. Both 9IN and Cash did amazing jobs with their versions. But like others have said, the original writer has said that the song isn’t his anymore, it’s Johnnys now. The Swan Song of a legend. The 9IN version was used an Rick and Morty while the Cash version was used in Logan, you probably heard the song in one of those.
He did record one more time, but not for his album. He sang a duet with his daughter, Roseanne Cash. The song is 'September When It Comes." His voice is even weaker than it is here. I do not recommend listening to this song and the song with his daughter too closely together. The emotions are devastating.
@@CortexNewsService Oh, I hadn’t heard that. I had always heard that this was his last recording, it makes sense though that it was the last commercial recording. The more you know
@@BrianHall33 it was the last recording he did solo. The one he did with Roseanne was his last ever, just a few days before he passed. It was very emotional for both of them.
I feel like you perfectly summarized why, although both versions are powerful, Johnny Cash’s cover seems to affect people so differently, and just makes me way more emotional. It gives me a heaviness in my chest that I only get from a handful of songs
My children's great-great aunt was in the house when Johnny visited during a family members time playing with him. She was afraid to go upstairs to wake him for food because when he came in he had a suitcase full of peanuts and pills. He had a drug problem for years until he kicked it. His daughter said of this song 'Dad it sounds like you're saying goodbye' his answer was 'I am'.
Bro, I love your reaction to this epic song cover. This song was about Reznors drug addiction, but took on an entire different theme of life and regret. J. Cash was a music legend but he had a tough life and it shows in this video. It's a masterpiece.
The process of you trying to absorb this painful song right here on the spot in front of us was so honest and true that I could feel your journey in my heart - so I subscribed.
Johnny died shortly after this song was released and many believe this to be his goodbye message to his loved that he was sorry for all the hurt he caused to them throughout his lifetime he is and always will be a true legend
Your reaction is so real and almost broke my heart. It shows me that you are a man of compassion and care for others. This song makes me cry every time I hear it. It reminds me of my father. He caused so much pain to my mom and his kids. He died at the age of 54 and I realized some years later that he was mentally sick. I try to believe that if he could do it all over again, he would do better. I love your channel and am a big fan. 💗
The original 9 inch Nails version of Hurt was used on the animated show Rick and Morty. Maybe you heard it there? The song is about depression, drug addiction, and looking for a reason to live, but basically beating yourself up for your faults. Johnny Cash went through a period of drug abuse and self-destructive behavior in his past and could relate to this song. Johnny Cash would be a great artist for you to explore. He could perform songs that tear you up like "Hurt" and songs that make you laugh like "Boy Named Sue".
Johnny's is obviously the best and original version of his own song but 9" Nails is a really outstanding cover of this incredible heartbreaking story... And for someone who has been thru addiction this song hits the truth to perfection 🥰
@@martincummings7886 Huh??? You've got it in reverse, my friend. *NIN* is the *_original_* - Johnny's version is the cover: ruclips.net/video/oLqjd01fPpQ/видео.html
I read the title of the video and thought 'good luck covering this, dude!' Not possible listening to this song without crying. Not only because of the lyrics, but the heart he puts in it. He has also been a selfhish a*hole in his life. Here you can hear love, remorse and gratefulness in this song. My empire of dirt means money is not important anymore at a certain point of your life. He said goodbye to the world. It is not depressing, it is life. He never sugar coats anything. He did not write the lyrics.
Johnny chose to sing this song because he felt like this song summed his life up in one song! Johnny struggled with drug addiction his whole life, but he always believed in God. He sung in many of the Rev. Billy Graham Crusades as he hid his addiction. As the song stated as if he wore a crown of thorns sitting in a liar's chair! When he said that part in the song ''you can have it all, my Empire of dirt'' is referring that he didn't care about material things. Material things is something most people put ahead of the purpose of their life or what really matters in life! I think Johnny Cash knew his life was coming to an end soon, so he recorded this song before it was too late! His wife standing behind him died a few months before he died! She was also a famous country singer. Watch the movie ''Walk the line'' and you'll get a better feel for who he was!
I also look at it as he worked his life singing towards having this abode about his life the life of luxury, the opposite of where he came from and no matter what he achieved it would make any person happy but it never made him happy because his success never fixed the problems he had. His relationship with his father, the lose of his brother it never brought him back it never took away that pain. So his Empire means nothing because he's unable to sit back happily with the people who love him to enjoy it! It's worth noting for all the pain he has and the pain he's caused others because of the things he's done to rid his own pain! He has a heart so deep and he's such a loving caring person yet his father had no remorse for him for even a second. My Dad's brother died at a young age from a car accident, a wife and two children. His Dad drank himself to death and told my Dad he had nothing to live for because his best son died it should have been my Dad that died and not his brother! The words never left him and his mom said the same thing. Our family has learned a lot over the years and all I can say is people are how they are for a reason we don't understand but because they're different or because they do things they shouldn't doesn't mean they don't deserve respect, we don't know their story, what they've been through or why they are the way they are, it's not our business to know just remember to treat others the way you would want to be treated. Sorry, sometimes I get into this stuff too much. Johnny was a great man and wonderful artist
At 64, I grew up with Johnny Cash. This was his good bye. The hardest line is "Try to kill it all away, but I remember everything." Wait for 30 or 40 years. It will all make sense.
Do react to Johnnys “Man in Black”. It explains a lot about Johnny and why he always wore black and why, how he chose to use his platform (standing up for and defending those who couldn’t defend themselves).
Johnny Cash struggled with drug addiction his entire adult life. Trent Rezner of Nine Inch Nails says he wrote this song Hurt during an episode of deep depression. He was living in the house that was previously owned by Sharon Tate, she was murdered while pregnant by the Charles Manson family trying to start a race war. Vincent Bugliosi the prosecutor wrote Helter Skelter. My empire of dirt, you collect meaningless baggage along the way and sometimes you push away the most important things, family. Johnny Cash was a very religious man and he ket down and hurt everyone and everything in his life because of his addiction. I love Hurt!
And another reaction to this song that leaves one speechless! Of all of Johnny's songs, this one makes me tear up EVERY time I play it. Knowing about his life and what he went through and was and became makes it even more "his" song.
It's about getting old and the pile of dirt above you in the grave. Make you hurt because everyone dies and the living hurts. It's the cycle of life that we all must feel.
NIN's version of this song is great. But Johnny found a way to make it even sadder. And if this doesn't make you tear up a little when you hear this song (even more so when you watch the video) then you aren't human. Seriously the most emotional song ever performed.
Song about guilt and loss hurt and pain. Getting older and losing loved ones. He’s trying to tell you before he leaves this planet that all of the stuff that he has acquired does not matter. The only things that truly matter are your connections with your friends and your family and the love that you share. You can’t take anything with you it’s just stuff. You can have my empire of dirt. Johnny did hurt a lot of people around him and himself with addiction and wild days when he was younger. It’s like your grandpa sitting down telling you a story from the wealth of knowledge he is gathered from a lifetime of experiences.
This was originally written as a suicidal song, by a member of Nine Inch Nails. Who actually preferred Johnny's rendition. Because Johnny expressed the words, from his sorrows.
Johnny Cash was a rebel and caused his wife and family so much pain. The drugs and partying and lifestyle is what hurt them all. He lived with regret and that's what's coming out here. Great song and reaction sir. RIP Johnny and June Cash 🖤🖤
He is..... he's looking back at his life and his ambitions and his accomplishes relative to all that/who was there for him, stood behind him, believed in him and was always there for him he didn't see
Johnny Cash had a music career that spanned six decades. During his lifetime, Johnny Cash was the hardest-working music artist in the entertainment industry. He performed more that 300 concerts per year. This relentless drive to perform got him hooked on morphine and other drugs in order to get awake, and to go to sleep at night. It cost him his first marriage to his first wife, Vivian Liberto (whom some people now say was black, although Cash denied it during his lifetime). June Carter helped Johnny Cash to get off of the drugs, and they got married in 1968.
"you could have it all, my empire of dirt" is referencing that material possessions, wealth, fame - none of that really matters. the older I get, the more this song resonates with me and I expect most others. People whop have lost parents, spouses, or children especially. most of us say no regrets when younger-but as we get older we realize just how much we wish we had done something else, gone another way, been there for someone or just appreciated the time we had with them so much more than we did while they were still around to know just how much they meant to us.
His was a phenomenal artist. I grew up listening to him and June his wife. He had addiction problems when he was a younger preformed. The white haired lady was his mom and the dark haired lady was his wife. This song made me cry but I know he’s in heaven with his loved ones. Empire of dirt is material things. You can’t take it with you
His wife (June Carter Cash) passed away on May 15 2003, Johnny passed almost exactly 4 months later on September 12. I believe it's because of the loss. My grandparents were similar
This was the last song that Johnny Cash released before he passed away and I still cry every time I hear it 😢😢And he is in heaven singing 🎶 to are Heavenly Father and I want to say thank you for sharing this My Friend and God bless you and your family Amen 🙏
You mentioned the song “ain’t no grave”. Took me back 20 years. A very religious man I worked with years ago used to sing this for us all at work while it was 118 degrees, we were hot, tired, dehydrated and him singing that kept our spirits up, especially mine. He died a few years ago and damn I miss hearing him sing that. Thanks for mentioning the song. I’m gonna find it on here and listen to it
This is the second time i watched this. The first time i gave up because of talking. This time i stuck it out and watched all the way through and am really glad i did. I love seeing your emotion. I love it because i have the same emotion watching this. Probably for different reasons, but i dont care who you are, this song brings out emotions whether its Nine Inch Nails or my man in black, Johnny Cash doing it.
"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 is long paid for his crime But is there because he's a victim of the times I wear the black for those who've 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 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 Believin' that the Lord was on their side I wear it for another hundred-thousand who have died Believin' that we all were on their side"
He called his Empire dirty of all the pain he inflicted on people who loved him with his addiction. Towards the end of his life, he realized that. I'm thankful I never messed with that stuff. The pain I'm dealing with daily is loosing my husband and my awful health problems. I will never see my homeland again, because of that. I can see the place of my childhood on You Tube. Thank you You Tube for letting me visit my homeland through you. It's not the same as being there, but it's better then nothing. My health won't allow me to travel any more. Wished I could do it one more time. My homeland is Germany. It's so beautiful there.
My oldest family members left Germany in the late 20s and early 30s. My mother was born in 1929 and never got to know her homeland, but her parents and their siblings it broke their hearts to leave under the circumstances they did. None of them ever went back. It hurt to leave, but they always said it would hurt more to return to the memories and the lost family members they left behind. They talked so much about the beauty of Germany.
@@wadehm63 My mother and my siblings were born in Danzig, Prussia. It's not called Danzig anymore. After the war and Germany was divided, Danzig is now called Gedanzk and it belongs to Poland now.
There's a movie called Walk The Line (The same name as the song) and it shows you his whole life story and it brings so much more context to just this song and gets a lot sadder after watching it.
Johnny's version was him telling how he no felt like himself after his stroke. His body no longer worked properly due to partial paralysis which can see as one side of his mouth droops. He's reflecting on his life and how he no longer feels like himself. It's basically his goodbye song
Some singers singing is more of an interpretation than just singing. His combination is unique. He was also an addict. He was addicted to pills and alcohol.
I've watched this video a bunch of times and it's never been easy to get through. You're not alone in this. This and Bonnie Raitt doing "I Can't Make You Love Me" really gets to me.
The old woman on the wall was his mother. His wife was the lady standing on the staircase. She passed away a short time after shooting this video and he passed a few months later. The house of cash museum where this was filmed had been closed to the public for a while. It burned down a short time after he passed away and is no more. He started doing covers late in life, trying to find other ways to country music. He wanted to find a life doing what he wanted to do, not what he had to do. If you google it, you will find the story behind all this and it is rather interesting in itself.
Rare is the person who can hear this and not be moved to tears. He did not write it, the man who wrote this is a timeless poet. Johnny was not the first to record it but he LIVED it. He spent time in jail. He fought drugs, alcohol and fame. He went from the very top and watched much of it pass away. Johnny lost many friends to alcohol and drugs. Johnny, when asked, said he spoke his lyrics because he didn't think he could sing. He wore black to honor those who could no longer speak for themselves, so he said. I grew up listening to Johnny, and watched his life as it unfolded, so I hear his past in this song. But this reaches almost every person because it is not only his life but ours as well. Johnny recorded this song shortly before God called him home to be with June, his beloved wife of decades. She stood by him through it all.
The movie you're probably thinking of was Logan. This was the backing track they used for the first teaser/trailer that they put out and quite honestly it still tears me up every time I re-watch it. Such a perfect song choice for the tone of that movie. Johnny Cash's rendition of this song is legendary.
Your reaction to this video and song was very moving to me. I found it interesting how much you tried to analyze the lyrics and meaning. You seem like a very thoughtful, emotional person. The song was originally performed by the band, Nine Inch Nails. The Johnny Cash version seemed to resonate with a lot of people in very deep ways. He recorded the song and made the video near the end of his life. For some reason it seems to fit his life story. I too feel it was a very moving video and seemed to fit his lifestyle. Thanks for sharing!
The picture was his mama. His wife is standing on the stairs later in the video. She died shortly after this video was filmed. Johnny followed her a few months later. We all knew it wouldn't be long before he went after she passed away.
You can tour his boyhood home-the empty little white house shown in older clips where he is seen looking in the windows (way before the house was well-preserved by Arkansas State Univ, as well it should be.) Its just an old sharecropper’s family home- I guarantee it wasn’t painted at all when Johnny was growing up there-set in what used to be fields of cotton his family, including the young kids, grew and picked (in the blazing hot, humid Arkansas Delta summers in the old Dyess Colony near the tiny town of Kingsland, in the flat, economically depressed farmland of the Mississippi River Delta in East Arkansas, only 40-something miles from Memphis. If you are in/near Memphis it’s definitely worth the short drive. (And if you’re a big Johnny Cash fan, it’s worth the trip from pretty much anywhere!)
For me Trent's version very much the man going through it all, Cash's about the man who has gone through it all... June Carter was his wife and saviour... a beautiful goodbye and i tear every time Edit: great reaction, this song should hit you in the feels if you have empathy and a soul
Johnny Cash was one of those artists who transcended his genre. There really is no reason for this besides his talent and authenticity. The hippies loved Johnny for his rebel image, and his support for the common man. As American as apple pie.
I think you did a great job explaining his voice. He actually has a large range, but what we usually hear is his mid-range, a deep and (sorta) rare baritone-bass. His strong, rich tone feels warm and intimate, like hearing a story around the fire. Brilliant strategy all the way around - never strain your voice, AND stand out from the crowd. Thanks for the reaction!
The original was written by a young man, written at the bottom of a downward spiral of depression, addiction, regret, broken relationships, but at the start of what would be a long and productive career. Cash's version is told from the perspective of an old man, looking back on a long life of similar pain, and seeing his prominence rise and fall, his loved ones pass, his own ill health. The images of Jesus are archive footage of a Biblical film he produced in the 70s. And it's okay to feel your feelings when listening to this.
A rough childhood,a loss of his brother,hard father,a loving mother military life,then life on the road, amphetamine addiction.A new wife,struggles to get clean,love of of God.John Cash deserves to be called a legend.Seek out his early stuff with Sun Records.J.C. lived those words in Trent Reznor's song .If you have ever known a drug addict,you learn that t hey lie to cover Thier deep seated shame over Thier addiction .Rezner's song 'Hurt' I believe he wrote as an apology,a deep seated "I am sorry" love letter to those he hurt and betrayed in his drug fueled wilderness years.
I have been a Johnny Cash fan since I was around 12. when my dad introduced me. This cover made me feel something I never have before. Then nearly 2 years ago I lost my wife of 11 years to acholism. I knew her for over 20 years, and now I can feel every word in this song. I will never stop hurting from losing her, and in many ways I blame myself because I feel like I failed her...
Oh yeah bud. This one always hits home. Feels like it's my Grandpa talking to me, I tear up every time I hear this one. Stay you, friend. Keep being genuine and we will keep watching.
Now all the million dollar group of Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis are all together in heaven. Can you imagine that concert? Heaven been rocking RIP to all those up there.
Thank you for this video and your honest reaction. You asked during the video why he wore black, he actually has a song titled: Man in Black. That song explains why he wore black It is worth a listen.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
You asked why he wore black. In his own words, from the song Man in Black: “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."
"Oh, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day, but until we make a move to make a few things right, I'm the Man in Black."
Please react to "Man in Black"
When Johnny was a kid his brother, Jack, who was just a few years older than he was went to work at a sawmill and fell into the saw and nearly cut himself in half. He lived a few days but ultimately died of his horrible wounds. Unforgivably, Johnny's father told him that "the wrong son died, because that should have been you." I can't even imagine how much "hurt" that particular statement from his father caused him. Jack had planned to be a preacher, which his father thought was a much more honorable vocation than messing around with music and he never fully accepted Johnny's musical career, even when that career allowed him to lift his entire family out of poverty.
In his heyday, out of every five records that were sold in the US, one of them was by Johnny Cash. I loved his music but I loved him as a person. He had a serious addiction to drugs which got the better of him more than one time in his life but he had a kind heart and he was a good man. I don't want to sound like Annie Wilkes, but I have been a fan of Johnny Cash since the mid-50's when he released his first hit record, Cry, Cry, Cry and though I never even met him, I regarded him almost like he was one of my brothers and when he died, I cried for days.
You asked why he always wore black, well he wrote a song called "Man in Black" which starts,
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.
He goes on to give more reasons he wears black but you really need to react to it so you can hear the rest of the reasons.
The images of Christ in this video came from the movie Gospel Road which was the story of the life of Christ that Johnny wrote and produced in 1973. He wrote all the music that was in the movie and released it on an album. This could be one reason he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Johnny Cash was a legend for a reason and in my opinion there will never be anyone who can fill his shoes.
I'm not a country fan, but Johnny was someone special, he transcended being labeled as just one type of music.
Nobody should.
@@colleenmcclurg2010 I never used to be a country fan either. Frankly I've lost a couple of teeth in mosh pits over the years.
Within the last couple of years I learned what Country music actually is, though - and it isn't what gets played on the radio 17 times a day.
Every genre has its mass-produced garbage; I'm just disappointed that at this point I'm pushing 40 and finally understanding what that means.
Excellent! Thank you.
I would say he did a fair ministry himself, through his songs. He preached in the only language people trust- humility, openness, sincerity, humor and vulnerability. That is a through line in all his work.
The writer of this song, Tent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, has stated that this song is no longer his after hearing Cash's rendition.
To be fair, both versions are incredibly heartfelt. NIN version in my opinion is more from the point of view of someone who is young and in the midst of addiction. Cash is obviously the old man who lived through all that and is looking back. They are practically two different songs.
@@theresagomez2605 Crazy how much a song can change just by switching the singer. All the same lyrucs, but a totally different meaning
I remember that. Great song, but wow. The way Johnny Cash sang it made me really tear up. He clearly took that song and made it his own.
Trent Reznor...
Yea NIN did a wonderful song. Mr. Cash just took it to a next level!!
saw him close up and caress the piano in the reflection of your glasses. that was his swan song. last time on film. June died shortly after...followed soon after by johnny. left us a rich legacy in his whole body of work. love the man in black. thanks for this little reminder of yesteryear, bro. go w/ God. peace and love to you and yours. shoutout from just an old longhaired Southern rocker dude in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
When Rosanne Cash (Johnny's daughter) heard this she said 'Dad this sounds like you are saying goodbye." He replied "I am"
It was his daughter Cindy.
@@ThumperE23 ok if you say so
@@valerieblack6445 it was Rosanne who said it, you were right don’t worry
@@sabi.dervic81 I know. I just didn't want to argue or look for the video. I was typing my reply sarcastically that day...😀
😭
Johnny Cash had issues throughout his life, drug abuse, depression, loss and near the end he was dealing with diabetes & insulin injections . His greatest loss was the death of his sweet wife, who saved him from self destruction. His music also was salvation for him & for the inmates at the jails he performed at & the messages he gave the inmates & the love he gave. The inmates loved Johnny 💜☮️🥰
** Some of Amy Wine house’s songs have messages like Johnny Cash’s sadder songs.
Johnny recorded this song before he passed, so people would hear his true message Also Johnny had just lost his sweet wife who died a few months before Johnny 😢💔❤️🩹☮️
RIP Johnny, you can rest and share your place in heaven with those you loved 💫
That was his wife, June Carter Cash in the video. She died soon after it was completed, and Johnny died a few months later, the same year.
@suzie4417, My late uncle knew Johnny from the prisons. But he was friends with him. They all respected Johnny so much! That's why when you see him playing in the prisons, the guards are enjoying themselves bc they know that there's not gonna be any 'problems' as long as Johnny is around. And my uncle used to basically only listen to Johnny, and when he was mad at me for whatever reason he would play it as loud as possible 😅...bc I wasn't really into it then, yes I was raised on music like that but he played it so much it would drive me crazy..lol. Last night was the anniversary of my uncle's passing (in my arms) ....and now I love Johnny like he did ❤. He told me all the stories n asked me to write a book about his life and I think I am going to now.
When this video came out I cried because I knew he was saying goodbye to us. He's saying material belongings mean nothing. We hurt each other if we mean to or not. June Carter Cash, his wife in standing on the stairs. Man in Black should be your next Cash song. It gives you more insight into who he was.
Same here... I knew this was his last song to us... so powerful.
I cried watching this just now... I can never get through it...powerful
Except he didn't write this song, its a Nine Inch Nails song.
yes drugs were involved in his life. i totally understand. this song sings my soul. my baby sisters murder ruined me. this is how that feels
@@farqsideways5679 We know that. You haven't been paying attention.
This song is about pain and addiction and the fact that it made you emotional is a good thing. It means you have empathy which a lot of people seem to lack.
wonderful reaction
It’s about so much more than just that. He’s not singing reznors story but his own.
When Trent Reznor wrote this song it was a private reflection about a young man's own self-loathing and drug addiction. When Johnny Cash sang it, and I think this is a mark of the man's genius, it opened up to become a song about an old man at the end of his life staring back through time at all of the people who are gone, who he can't get another moment with, but who he is preparing to join. The self-loathing turns almost into half bitter acceptance, half defiant rally cry. He has regrets, but just as much he has nothing left to hang onto. We as the audience feel his years ourselves, and get a second hand feeling of those lost opportunities... which is honestly rather remarkable. The instrumentation build just hints at the threshold he's approaching and about to cross and it really seals the deal.
This song will break the toughest man and bring him to tears.
The only person in the rock and roll hall of fame country hall of fame and gospel hall of fame. This man is one of the few true special ones.
Actually I believe Elvis Presley is also in all 3 of these
On the black clothes, Cash said in a song "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." He was deeply connected to everyone that others discarded or deemed unworthy due to his own harsh life. It's why he played so many prison concerts and one of the reasons why the country stations stopped playing him and his music popped up on alternative one's instead. He just didn't fit in with where country music had gone.
he has a song called “the man in Black” from the 60’s that explains everything about why he wears black…
@@imaluthier218 Yeah... that's the song I was quoting.
The photo on the wall was his mother. His wife, June Carter Cash, was the woman on the stairs and she died just shortly after this was filmed with Johnny following her a few months after that. He never opened that piano again once he closed it at the end. Cash dealt with addictions to alcohol, pills - amphetamines and barbiturates then in his last years he was dealing with diabetes (referencing the needle). There were bouts of infidelity and he spent a few overnights in jail but never went to prison other than to perform.
"cap"
No cap sorry I'm wrong
Also prescription pain killers after an ostrich he owned nearly disemboweled him.
His wife just came down to watch him record the video. When they saw how she looked at him, they asked her if they could include her.
She stood by him for 35 years. Him getting clean of his addictions was her condition for marriening him and even when he relapsed she stayed with him and helped him get clean again. Just by the way she looks at him you can see she still very much loves him. (he was clean for about 10 years at that time).
The video was shot in large parts at the House of cash - a museum about Johnny Cash that was closed by that time and in disrepair.
Another thing I find haunting is the golden light that hits him almost horizontally causing hard shadows. It's giving me sunset in autumn.
I’m sorry but you are wrong about the lyrics. Trent Reznor wrote this song about his addiction to heroine, thats what the needle reference is. Not diabetes. However, his battle with pills is pretty much the same as heroine they are both opiods and it is a vicious thing that tears everything up. I am a recovering addict, clean for 11 years now, and it took me so long to get here.
My Grandmother lived to 94. She outlived her husband. She watched ALL their friends pass. My Grandparents were married 70 years. My Grandfather truly treated my Grandmother like a Queen. The final loss was outliving her son. She was sharp as a tack. She drove until 91. She wasn’t ever sick. In the weeks before she died she said living this long she wishes on no one. She was in pain and grieving so I could understand why she said that. My Grandparents love story was always visible. She talked to me about so much. I will always be grateful I had them as long as I did. She went into congestive heart failure. I got to the hospital later than everyone that day. She wasn’t with us anymore. She was kept comfortable. When I sat on her bed and said hello she made several movements. I believe she can hear me. Everyone said she hadn’t moved all day. I bent down and kissed her on the cheek. I whispered in her ear so no one could hear. I said do you see Grandad and your son. It’s ok to go. We will be fine and I will see you again. She passed that night after I left. Such a special memory for me.
Losing your family members could feel like a needle to the heart. Watch the movie about Johnny Cash and June Carter. Best love story. She passed away and Johnny followed just a few months later. It might have been a year . I can’t remember. Once you know their love story you will see where his emotions are coming from.
God bless you and your grandmother Bethany! Cherish those memories and that love EVERYDAY
I lost my grandmother in January, she was 4 months short of being 100. She outlived my grandfather, 2 of her 5 kids, all of her friends, and her whole family that she grew up with. She told me years ago that she had done everything she ever wanted to and saw things that she never dreamed would be possible when she was young, she had no regrets, and when her time came she was ready to go. It must be amazing to be at the end of your life like that.
We lost my grandmother in Jan at the tender age of 96. Her mom died when she (my grandmother was 12), her son died when he was 22, my grandfather died in 2017. Ever since he passed, she’s said she was ready to go. We miss her terribly but we rejoice knowing that she’s with all those who went before her.❤
She sounds very much lie my Grandmother. She died a few weeks away from being 100. She talked about how lonely she felt seeing everyone she knew pass away. The day she had a stroke, she called me up. When I got there she said she was sorry. I told her not to be and that I loved her dearly. I was responsible for her health care decisions. It was the hardest week in my life. I followed her wishes and made sure she was comfortable. I was there every day and had her favorite songs playing. Like Mr. Cash says, "Everyone I know goes away in the end". Many years later I can fully understand this.
@@Kriskat6 I really do think it would be hard to outlive my children. If I do live that long I really hope my children outlive me. I can’t imagine losing them when I’m that old. I completely understand why my Grandmother said what she did the older I get. My youngest child flew the nest last year and that is so hard. He went in the military so it’s even harder because I can’t see him much. Thank God for FaceTime! My daughter lives near by and I’m thankful for that too.
I'm 74 and displaced by Hurricane Ian and I'm looking at my "stuff". I'm relating to him on some level and trying to examine my decisions to accumulate an empire of crap. Selecting and sorting the treasures from the "stuff". These words don't fit completely but just enough to make me uncomfortable. Johnny's delivery is what made him the ultimate storyteller.
I’ll pray for you.
Hope you are doing better now
@@Steffipantsify Appreciated and it always works
@@michaeltaylor8835 Each day I get a little closer to the goal of a simply uncluttered life. Thanks for caring.
No worries, no matter what life, no matter where we are, where we go, where we end up, the world keeps turning, and will always have beauty and be amazing.
Try and keep positive. ☕☺️
[Solo]
Trent wrote a powerful song. Johnny made it into a Testimony on his life.
He won a Grammy for this, but he died before they gave it out.
I don't think he much cared for that Grammy, or anything else within his empire of dirt.
I think he said what he wanted to say, and left.
The song by itself is powerful.
Sung by JC, it is emotional.
With the backing video, if you don't get tears, you are not human.
I want to add another dimension to: “I will let you down, I will make you hurt”.
People have mentioned Trent Resnor wrote this and he’s done interviews talking about the meaning on his end.
I’m an old school cash fan and know a bit about his life. I’m also a 90’s girl so I remember 9 inch Nails version and how it made me feel… like young people making mistakes and in the case of the song, a young man telling the people around him to beware because his problems will make him a relationship liability. He will hurt you even though it’s because he’s hurting himself.
In the cash version I think he is referring in part to his past where he, like the young man in the original version literally let people down and hurt them. Then as I watched the video I got another feeling. That sense of time passing and the effects of aging. Your body lets you down. Your talents become unreliable. You reach a point where you can no longer say for certain if you will be here even tomorrow. You watch your friends and people around you fade and die.
I’m an older mom with a toddler. My baby asked me yesterday if I would be with her forever. I told her yes, but someday I will have to tell her: “I will let you down, I will make you hurt”.
In the end, I will leave her and all I love behind. Cash knew he was leaving too.
We none of us can stay forever. We will all leave people hurt.
I have loved Johnny Cash for as long as I can remember. I got to see him when I was 9 and I got to go back stage to meet him. I was so awestruck that couldn’t even say anything. But I did get his autograph 😂
The song was originally written by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails and deals with heroin addiction and depression. Johnny Cash asked to cover it, and Reznor was skeptical, but allowed it. Once he saw the video he praised it's sincerity and said that the song no longer belonged to him (he likened it to losing a girlfriend). Johnny Cash took the song and made it (IMO) about a man reflecting on his life and the mistakes he made. His wife June (who is in the video) passed in May, 3 months after the video was shot. Johnny passed in September of the same year, just 4 months after his wife. The final scene of him putting the cover down on the piano and his trembling hands running over the top feels like a farewell to music, and to life. This will always be my favorite Johnny Cash song.
Even though he didn't write this song, it had meaning to him which is why he sang it. He's saying everyone you love dies, his empire of dirt, all he has accomplished or bought means nothing in the end. His mother died, his wife, who was still alive at the time, died within a few weeks, then he died within a few months, and once you're gone all your belongings mean nothing. Either your soul is saved or it isn't. Very powerful song.
Man in Black released February 16, 1971, he says, "I wear 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".
As others have said this is Johnnys cover of a song from Nine Inch Nails, and was Johnnys last recorded song before the death of his wife and shortly after, himself.
Both the original and cover are sad emotional songs about regret, drug abuse, etc. but the different places and styles of the artists drastically change the song.
9IN was a both softer and more energetic song about the regrets of the young singer the drug addiction and loss of self identity that came with the fame. It’s energy comes from the anger and rage that the young often react to their mistakes and regrets, angry that things didn’t turn out right, knowing they could be different; and it’s overwhelming sadness and depression stems from the tragedy of someone so young having so many regrets in their short life.
Cash’s is a smoother and simpler song coming from his smooth and deep but beautifully weathered voice. It’s about the regrets and pain accumulated over the years of an old man’s life. Johnny also struggled with drug abuse throughout his career and could relate to the original song. But the many regrets of an old man at the very end of his life has an entirely different kind of tragedy and sadness than the many regrets packed into the few years of a young man because the young man still has many years of his life to sort himself out either atoning or moving on while the old man can only look back and remember, his time to do better is over. This feeling is heightened when one knows that this is the old man’s last song, his final goodbye and final regrets.
Hurt is a beautifully written song to portray so different kinds of emotion in so different styles. Both 9IN and Cash did amazing jobs with their versions. But like others have said, the original writer has said that the song isn’t his anymore, it’s Johnnys now. The Swan Song of a legend.
The 9IN version was used an Rick and Morty while the Cash version was used in Logan, you probably heard the song in one of those.
In a nutshell.👍
He did record one more time, but not for his album. He sang a duet with his daughter, Roseanne Cash. The song is 'September When It Comes." His voice is even weaker than it is here. I do not recommend listening to this song and the song with his daughter too closely together. The emotions are devastating.
@@CortexNewsService Oh, I hadn’t heard that. I had always heard that this was his last recording, it makes sense though that it was the last commercial recording. The more you know
@@BrianHall33 it was the last recording he did solo. The one he did with Roseanne was his last ever, just a few days before he passed. It was very emotional for both of them.
I feel like you perfectly summarized why, although both versions are powerful, Johnny Cash’s cover seems to affect people so differently, and just makes me way more emotional. It gives me a heaviness in my chest that I only get from a handful of songs
The cross, hurt. The redemption, forgiveness.
My children's great-great aunt was in the house when Johnny visited during a family members time playing with him. She was afraid to go upstairs to wake him for food because when he came in he had a suitcase full of peanuts and pills. He had a drug problem for years until he kicked it. His daughter said of this song 'Dad it sounds like you're saying goodbye' his answer was 'I am'.
Bro, I love your reaction to this epic song cover. This song was about Reznors drug addiction, but took on an entire different theme of life and regret. J. Cash was a music legend but he had a tough life and it shows in this video. It's a masterpiece.
The process of you trying to absorb this painful song right here on the spot in front of us was so honest and true that I could feel your journey in my heart - so I subscribed.
Johnny died shortly after this song was released and many believe this to be his goodbye message to his loved that he was sorry for all the hurt he caused to them throughout his lifetime he is and always will be a true legend
The first crescendo primes the tears, the second makes them flow like the nile.
Johnny was a complex man with a complicated life. And yes, he did make this song his own. Much love.
This song is nearly 20 years old and it hits me in the feels every time
It is insane that this is almost 20 years old! I remember when it came out.
Agreed 💯%
Your reaction is so real and almost broke my heart. It shows me that you are a man of compassion and care for others. This song makes me cry every time I hear it. It reminds me of my father. He caused so much pain to my mom and his kids. He died at the age of 54 and I realized some years later that he was mentally sick. I try to believe that if he could do it all over again, he would do better. I love your channel and am a big fan. 💗
The original 9 inch Nails version of Hurt was used on the animated show Rick and Morty. Maybe you heard it there? The song is about depression, drug addiction, and looking for a reason to live, but basically beating yourself up for your faults. Johnny Cash went through a period of drug abuse and self-destructive behavior in his past and could relate to this song. Johnny Cash would be a great artist for you to explore. He could perform songs that tear you up like "Hurt" and songs that make you laugh like "Boy Named Sue".
This version of the song was used for the wolverine movie, Logan.
@@isaachunt3015 well, the trailer
Johnny's is obviously the best and original version of his own song but 9" Nails is a really outstanding cover of this incredible heartbreaking story... And for someone who has been thru addiction this song hits the truth to perfection 🥰
@@martincummings7886
Huh??? You've got it in reverse, my friend. *NIN* is the *_original_* - Johnny's version is the cover:
ruclips.net/video/oLqjd01fPpQ/видео.html
I read the title of the video and thought 'good luck covering this, dude!' Not possible listening to this song without crying. Not only because of the lyrics, but the heart he puts in it. He has also been a selfhish a*hole in his life. Here you can hear love, remorse and gratefulness in this song. My empire of dirt means money is not important anymore at a certain point of your life. He said goodbye to the world. It is not depressing, it is life. He never sugar coats anything. He did not write the lyrics.
Johnny chose to sing this song because he felt like this song summed his life up in one song! Johnny struggled with drug addiction his whole life, but he always believed in God. He sung in many of the Rev. Billy Graham Crusades as he hid his addiction. As the song stated as if he wore a crown of thorns sitting in a liar's chair! When he said that part in the song ''you can have it all, my Empire of dirt'' is referring that he didn't care about material things. Material things is something most people put ahead of the purpose of their life or what really matters in life! I think Johnny Cash knew his life was coming to an end soon, so he recorded this song before it was too late! His wife standing behind him died a few months before he died! She was also a famous country singer. Watch the movie ''Walk the line'' and you'll get a better feel for who he was!
I also look at it as he worked his life singing towards having this abode about his life the life of luxury, the opposite of where he came from and no matter what he achieved it would make any person happy but it never made him happy because his success never fixed the problems he had. His relationship with his father, the lose of his brother it never brought him back it never took away that pain. So his Empire means nothing because he's unable to sit back happily with the people who love him to enjoy it! It's worth noting for all the pain he has and the pain he's caused others because of the things he's done to rid his own pain! He has a heart so deep and he's such a loving caring person yet his father had no remorse for him for even a second.
My Dad's brother died at a young age from a car accident, a wife and two children. His Dad drank himself to death and told my Dad he had nothing to live for because his best son died it should have been my Dad that died and not his brother! The words never left him and his mom said the same thing. Our family has learned a lot over the years and all I can say is people are how they are for a reason we don't understand but because they're different or because they do things they shouldn't doesn't mean they don't deserve respect, we don't know their story, what they've been through or why they are the way they are, it's not our business to know just remember to treat others the way you would want to be treated.
Sorry, sometimes I get into this stuff too much.
Johnny was a great man and wonderful artist
At 64, I grew up with Johnny Cash.
This was his good bye. The hardest line is "Try to kill it all away, but I remember everything." Wait for 30 or 40 years. It will all make sense.
Do react to Johnnys “Man in Black”. It explains a lot about Johnny and why he always wore black and why, how he chose to use his platform (standing up for and defending those who couldn’t defend themselves).
I think in the movie about him, it was the cleanest shirt he had going to a recording.
I was thinking of this song also.
This, he goes "wonder what was the meaning behind him wearing black" 😁my dude he has a song exactly about that.
Johnny Cash sings from his past, his experiences, an from the heart . He is probably for me, one of the most iconic and prolific singers to date.
Johnny Cash struggled with drug addiction his entire adult life.
Trent Rezner of Nine Inch Nails says he wrote this song Hurt during an episode of deep depression. He was living in the house that was previously owned by Sharon Tate, she was murdered while pregnant by the Charles Manson family trying to start a race war. Vincent Bugliosi the prosecutor wrote Helter Skelter.
My empire of dirt, you collect meaningless baggage along the way and sometimes you push away the most important things, family. Johnny Cash was a very religious man and he ket down and hurt everyone and everything in his life because of his addiction. I love Hurt!
Whoever made the video deserves awards. I loved the song the first time I heard it. Since my wife passed I cry every time.
And another reaction to this song that leaves one speechless! Of all of Johnny's songs, this one makes me tear up EVERY time I play it. Knowing about his life and what he went through and was and became makes it even more "his" song.
It's about getting old and the pile of dirt above you in the grave.
Make you hurt because everyone dies and the living hurts.
It's the cycle of life that we all must feel.
NIN's version of this song is great. But Johnny found a way to make it even sadder. And if this doesn't make you tear up a little when you hear this song (even more so when you watch the video) then you aren't human. Seriously the most emotional song ever performed.
He OWNS this song. It's so good because he lived it.
If you see the movie WALK THE LINE you will understand this song even more.
I am so pleased the younger generation are discovering music written years ago. Believe me, we older people 'get' how you feel. We've lived it.
Song about guilt and loss hurt and pain. Getting older and losing loved ones. He’s trying to tell you before he leaves this planet that all of the stuff that he has acquired does not matter. The only things that truly matter are your connections with your friends and your family and the love that you share. You can’t take anything with you it’s just stuff. You can have my empire of dirt. Johnny did hurt a lot of people around him and himself with addiction and wild days when he was younger. It’s like your grandpa sitting down telling you a story from the wealth of knowledge he is gathered from a lifetime of experiences.
Another GREAT emotional song from him and one of his most powerful original songs is "I hung my head"
CASH was a legend- not many come around like him- I'm in tears as I'm typing this up.. Much love for allowing yourself to hear this
This was originally written as a suicidal song, by a member of Nine Inch Nails. Who actually preferred Johnny's rendition. Because Johnny expressed the words, from his sorrows.
Johnny Cash was a rebel and caused his wife and family so much pain. The drugs and partying and lifestyle is what hurt them all. He lived with regret and that's what's coming out here. Great song and reaction sir. RIP Johnny and June Cash 🖤🖤
He is..... he's looking back at his life and his ambitions and his accomplishes relative to all that/who was there for him, stood behind him, believed in him and was always there for him he didn't see
Johnny Cash had a music career that spanned six decades. During his lifetime, Johnny Cash was the hardest-working music artist in the entertainment industry. He performed more that 300 concerts per year. This relentless drive to perform got him hooked on morphine and other drugs in order to get awake, and to go to sleep at night. It cost him his first marriage to his first wife, Vivian Liberto (whom some people now say was black, although Cash denied it during his lifetime). June Carter helped Johnny Cash to get off of the drugs, and they got married in 1968.
"you could have it all, my empire of dirt" is referencing that material possessions, wealth, fame - none of that really matters. the older I get, the more this song resonates with me and I expect most others. People whop have lost parents, spouses, or children especially. most of us say no regrets when younger-but as we get older we realize just how much we wish we had done something else, gone another way, been there for someone or just appreciated the time we had with them so much more than we did while they were still around to know just how much they meant to us.
His was a phenomenal artist. I grew up listening to him and June his wife. He had addiction problems when he was a younger preformed. The white haired lady was his mom and the dark haired lady was his wife. This song made me cry but I know he’s in heaven with his loved ones. Empire of dirt is material things. You can’t take it with you
His wife (June Carter Cash) passed away on May 15 2003, Johnny passed almost exactly 4 months later on September 12. I believe it's because of the loss. My grandparents were similar
I get tears and chills every time I hear this song. I think we all do become numb to various things in life. Keep the faith and keep moving forward.
Ain’t No Grave was first written and sung by Brother Claude Elly, a Pentecostal preacher from Northern Kentucky.
He’s lived through many trials an tribulations in his life. He’s an amazing storyteller an his voice always connected him to his fans
This was the last song that Johnny Cash released before he passed away and I still cry every time I hear it 😢😢And he is in heaven singing 🎶 to are Heavenly Father and I want to say thank you for sharing this My Friend and God bless you and your family Amen 🙏
You mentioned the song “ain’t no grave”. Took me back 20 years. A very religious man I worked with years ago used to sing this for us all at work while it was 118 degrees, we were hot, tired, dehydrated and him singing that kept our spirits up, especially mine. He died a few years ago and damn I miss hearing him sing that. Thanks for mentioning the song. I’m gonna find it on here and listen to it
The Holmes Brothers do a fine version you should check out.
@@VenusDeMilitant I will. Thanks
This is the second time i watched this. The first time i gave up because of talking. This time i stuck it out and watched all the way through and am really glad i did. I love seeing your emotion. I love it because i have the same emotion watching this. Probably for different reasons, but i dont care who you are, this song brings out emotions whether its Nine Inch Nails or my man in black, Johnny Cash doing it.
"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 is long paid for his crime
But is there because he's a victim of the times
I wear the black for those who've 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
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
Believin' that the Lord was on their side
I wear it for another hundred-thousand who have died
Believin' that we all were on their side"
He called his Empire dirty of all the pain he inflicted on people who loved him with his addiction. Towards the end of his life, he realized that. I'm thankful I never messed with that stuff. The pain I'm dealing with daily is loosing my husband and my awful health problems. I will never see my homeland again, because of that. I can see the place of my childhood on You Tube. Thank you You Tube for letting me visit my homeland through you. It's not the same as being there, but it's better then nothing. My health won't allow me to travel any more. Wished I could do it one more time. My homeland is Germany. It's so beautiful there.
My oldest family members left Germany in the late 20s and early 30s. My mother was born in 1929 and never got to know her homeland, but her parents and their siblings it broke their hearts to leave under the circumstances they did. None of them ever went back. It hurt to leave, but they always said it would hurt more to return to the memories and the lost family members they left behind. They talked so much about the beauty of Germany.
@@wadehm63 My mother and my siblings were born in Danzig, Prussia. It's not called Danzig anymore. After the war and Germany was divided, Danzig is now called Gedanzk and it belongs to Poland now.
There's a movie called Walk The Line (The same name as the song) and it shows you his whole life story and it brings so much more context to just this song and gets a lot sadder after watching it.
If no one has said it yet, check out his song "The Man in Black" (The live version). He explains his black wardrobe.
Johnny's version was him telling how he no felt like himself after his stroke. His body no longer worked properly due to partial paralysis which can see as one side of his mouth droops. He's reflecting on his life and how he no longer feels like himself. It's basically his goodbye song
Some singers singing is more of an interpretation than just singing. His combination is unique. He was also an addict. He was addicted to pills and alcohol.
Just the fact you did this reaction means everything.
It's not abt drugs, it's abt life. Never listen this without tears.
You are deep and thoughtful. I appreciate your reaction.
Thank you Daniela!
When we get to the age Johnny was, we've lost a lot of loved Ones, and a lot of love.
I've watched this video a bunch of times and it's never been easy to get through. You're not alone in this. This and Bonnie Raitt doing "I Can't Make You Love Me" really gets to me.
i first heard this in 03 and am still processing it
The old woman on the wall was his mother. His wife was the lady standing on the staircase.
She passed away a short time after shooting this video and he passed a few months later.
The house of cash museum where this was filmed had been closed to the public for a while. It burned down a short time after he passed away and is no more.
He started doing covers late in life, trying to find other ways to country music. He wanted to find a life doing what he wanted to do, not what he had to do. If you google it, you will find the story behind all this and it is rather interesting in itself.
Rare is the person who can hear this and not be moved to tears. He did not write it, the man who wrote this is a timeless poet. Johnny was not the first to record it but he LIVED it. He spent time in jail. He fought drugs, alcohol and fame. He went from the very top and watched much of it pass away. Johnny lost many friends to alcohol and drugs. Johnny, when asked, said he spoke his lyrics because he didn't think he could sing. He wore black to honor those who could no longer speak for themselves, so he said. I grew up listening to Johnny, and watched his life as it unfolded, so I hear his past in this song. But this reaches almost every person because it is not only his life but ours as well. Johnny recorded this song shortly before God called him home to be with June, his beloved wife of decades. She stood by him through it all.
This is a cover he did of a original song by Nine Inch Nails. The composer said afterward that it wasn't his song anymore, but Johnny's.
The movie you're probably thinking of was Logan. This was the backing track they used for the first teaser/trailer that they put out and quite honestly it still tears me up every time I re-watch it. Such a perfect song choice for the tone of that movie. Johnny Cash's rendition of this song is legendary.
Or Colombiana
Legendary is the perfect word.
Your REACTIONS are raw and real, hence makes you super enjoyable to watch. Much Love. 😁
Thanks Alexis!
This song brings me to tears every time I hear it due to my father and his passing. Dad had so much pain and he is no longer in pain. (RIP DAD)
It’s OK to be emotional if you’re feeling it. It’s also OK not to show it if you don’t want to😌🙏
You got to hear his song " the man in black" he wrote explaining why he wears black. ✌️❤️♥️
Your reaction to this video and song was very moving to me. I found it interesting how much you tried to analyze the lyrics and meaning. You seem like a very thoughtful, emotional person. The song was originally performed by the band, Nine Inch Nails. The Johnny Cash version seemed to resonate with a lot of people in very deep ways. He recorded the song and made the video near the end of his life. For some reason it seems to fit his life story. I too feel it was a very moving video and seemed to fit his lifestyle. Thanks for sharing!
You put a lot of thought into it and for that it shows how amazing you are!
The picture was his mama. His wife is standing on the stairs later in the video. She died shortly after this video was filmed. Johnny followed her a few months later. We all knew it wouldn't be long before he went after she passed away.
I really appreciated that you started the video with information about the artist. Thank you for that!
Powerfull song.Thanx for reacting to it.I have not heard this song in a long , long time .
You can tour his boyhood home-the empty little white house shown in older clips where he is seen looking in the windows (way before the house was well-preserved by Arkansas State Univ, as well it should be.) Its just an old sharecropper’s family home- I guarantee it wasn’t painted at all when Johnny was growing up there-set in what used to be fields of cotton his family, including the young kids, grew and picked (in the blazing hot, humid Arkansas Delta summers in the old Dyess Colony near the tiny town of Kingsland, in the flat, economically depressed farmland of the Mississippi River Delta in East Arkansas, only 40-something miles from Memphis. If you are in/near Memphis it’s definitely worth the short drive. (And if you’re a big Johnny Cash fan, it’s worth the trip from pretty much anywhere!)
For me Trent's version very much the man going through it all, Cash's about the man who has gone through it all... June Carter was his wife and saviour... a beautiful goodbye and i tear every time
Edit: great reaction, this song should hit you in the feels if you have empathy and a soul
Johnny Cash was one of those artists who transcended his genre. There really is no reason for this besides his talent and authenticity. The hippies loved Johnny for his rebel image, and his support for the common man. As American as apple pie.
I think you did a great job explaining his voice. He actually has a large range, but what we usually hear is his mid-range, a deep and (sorta) rare baritone-bass.
His strong, rich tone feels warm and intimate, like hearing a story around the fire.
Brilliant strategy all the way around - never strain your voice, AND stand out from the crowd. Thanks for the reaction!
Yeah, it has that effect on everyone who sees it. Cash knows he is nearing the end, and it is an apology and a goodbye to his loved ones and his fans.
The original was written by a young man, written at the bottom of a downward spiral of depression, addiction, regret, broken relationships, but at the start of what would be a long and productive career. Cash's version is told from the perspective of an old man, looking back on a long life of similar pain, and seeing his prominence rise and fall, his loved ones pass, his own ill health.
The images of Jesus are archive footage of a Biblical film he produced in the 70s.
And it's okay to feel your feelings when listening to this.
A rough childhood,a loss of his brother,hard father,a loving mother military life,then life on the road, amphetamine addiction.A new wife,struggles to get clean,love of of God.John Cash deserves to be called a legend.Seek out his early stuff with Sun Records.J.C. lived those words in Trent Reznor's song .If you have ever known a drug addict,you learn that t hey lie to cover Thier deep seated shame over Thier addiction .Rezner's song 'Hurt' I believe he wrote as an apology,a deep seated "I am sorry" love letter to those he hurt and betrayed in his drug fueled wilderness years.
I have been a Johnny Cash fan since I was around 12. when my dad introduced me. This cover made me feel something I never have before. Then nearly 2 years ago I lost my wife of 11 years to acholism. I knew her for over 20 years, and now I can feel every word in this song. I will never stop hurting from losing her, and in many ways I blame myself because I feel like I failed her...
Oh yeah bud. This one always hits home. Feels like it's my Grandpa talking to me, I tear up every time I hear this one.
Stay you, friend. Keep being genuine and we will keep watching.
Now all the million dollar group of Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis are all together in heaven. Can you imagine that concert? Heaven been rocking RIP to all those up there.
Thank you for this video and your honest reaction. You asked during the video why he wore black, he actually has a song titled: Man in Black. That song explains why he wore black It is worth a listen.
The song did its job. It created emotion of the strongest kind. Its delivery is majestic
Appreciate the honesty. All of us felt it too. Welcome to the club, sincerely.