Topic: Underrated Johnny Cash songs (Read 16381 times)

Will · « **on:** 08 Nov 2006, 20:59 »

Okay, I know the Man in Black gets all kinds of love from all kinds of people, but the only songs of his that get that love are the standards (Man in Black, Boy Named Sue, Ring of Fire, etc..)

Any Cash fans out there, I wanna hear your favorite songs of his that weren't real big hits.

For me, I'm going with "Sunday Morning Coming Down."?

*edit because I forgot we have spell check now*

Thrillho · « **Reply #1 on:** 08 Nov 2006, 21:29 »

'In My Life.' He barely stays in tune. It's shocking. It's even better than the original.

I'm also very partial to 'Sixteen Tons.' I know that - like the above - it's a cover but I think there's a certain gravity to a man whose voice sounds like it was hewn from rock singing 'Sixteen Tons'.

KharBevNor · « **Reply #2 on:** 09 Nov 2006, 02:25 »

No one else I talk to seems to know '(Ghost) Riders in the Sky', yet it's probably my second favourite Cash song (behind 'Folsom Prison Blues')

öde · « **Reply #3 on:** 09 Nov 2006, 03:37 »

I don't know about underrated, but 'Hurt' is probably one of the best songs ever.

Johnny C · « **Reply #4 on:** 09 Nov 2006, 04:17 »

Quote from: KharBevNor on 09 Nov 2006, 02:25

'(Ghost) Riders in the Sky'

That's a Fred Penner song, you liar.

KharBevNor · « **Reply #5 on:** 09 Nov 2006, 05:49 »

Inlander · « **Reply #6 on:** 09 Nov 2006, 07:56 »

Pssh, the best version of "Ghost Riders" I ever heard was the one that was played on Finnish radio. Being sung in Finnish.

Cash songs: no idea how big a hit it was, but I like "I Still Miss Someone".

Trollstormur · « **Reply #7 on:** 09 Nov 2006, 08:26 »

I rather like Give My Love to Rose and Cocaine Blues

Kwi · « **Reply #8 on:** 09 Nov 2006, 10:56 »

His cover of the U2 song 'One'

It seems to be his gimmick, take a rockin' song by a crappy band and make it orgasmic.

As for original; The Green Green Grass of Home

thegreatbuddha · « **Reply #9 on:** 09 Nov 2006, 14:52 »

I prefer the Marty Robbins cover of Ghost Riders over Mr Cash's. I dunno why.

My favorite is either Man Comes Around or Five Feet High and Rising

BrittanyMarie · « **Reply #10 on:** 10 Nov 2006, 00:36 »

They've both already been mentioned, but Folsom Prison Blues and Cash's wonderful rendition of Kristofferson's Sunday Morning Coming Down (props to Kristofferson though, for the most poignant lyrics ever) are wonderful. Also: The One on Your Right is on Your Left is actually sorta fun.

Johnny C · « **Reply #11 on:** 10 Nov 2006, 00:40 »

Khar:

LIST'D

Hat · « **Reply #12 on:** 10 Nov 2006, 00:54 »

Its probably not underrated, seeing as it is on most Best Of complimations I've seen, but Jackson is pretty much my favorite duet of all time.

Cartilage Head · « **Reply #13 on:** 10 Nov 2006, 05:53 »

"Give My Love To Rose" gives me serious chills, especially when I listen to the re-recording on American IV.

The first and title track on said album, "The Man Comes Around" is also very good but is usually overshadowed by his classic songs or the "Hurt" cover.

!!!CPAOI!!! · « **Reply #14 on:** 10 Nov 2006, 06:37 »

Quote from: Kwi on 09 Nov 2006, 10:56

His cover of the U2 song 'One'

It seems to be his gimmick, take a rockin' song by a crappy band and make it orgasmic.

Suck on my balls. I'm sure I'll get plenty of hate for this, but pre-91 U2 produced some great albums.

Will · « **Reply #15 on:** 10 Nov 2006, 07:57 »

One Piece At A Time was rather funny and clever...sure, it was rather gimmicky, but I always enjoy whenever it comes up.

rae · « **Reply #16 on:** 11 Nov 2006, 02:54 »

Cocaine Blues and San Quentin are truely amazing.
And his version of Personal Jesus give me goosebumps.

Johnny C · « **Reply #17 on:** 11 Nov 2006, 04:30 »

Hat · « **Reply #18 on:** 11 Nov 2006, 05:25 »

Actually, I'm changing my answer. I think "Dont take your ones to town" is his most underrated song. I just like how they gave the story a happy ending and Big Bird learnt not to take his ones to town, but actually it was probably better that he took his ones to town because everyone taught him to count higher and everyone learnt a wholesome, educational lesson.

PrinceMyshkin · « **Reply #19 on:** 11 Nov 2006, 13:23 »

Quote from: !!!CPAOI!!! on 10 Nov 2006, 06:37

Suck on my balls. I'm sure I'll get plenty of hate for this, but pre-91 U2 produced some great albums.

Nope! I love U2. For my money, they were and still are one of the best bands around. As for underrated Johnny Cash songs, how about the whole Live at San Quienten album? It never got as much cred as Live at Folsom, but a prison concert is a prison concet. Also, The Ballad of Ira Hayes is a great song, even though it's on 16 Biggest hits, which may disqualify it as underrated.

Oli · « **Reply #20 on:** 11 Nov 2006, 23:39 »

Hung my heart, give my love to rose, I'm free from the chain gang now.

thegreatbuddha · « **Reply #21 on:** 12 Nov 2006, 00:19 »

Speaking of chain gangs, There Ain't No Good Chain Gang is a great song. +Waylon Jennings FTW

Speaking of Waylon Jennings, Highwayman is also a great song. If my memory hasn't failed me yet, it's Waylon Jennings, Niel Young, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson. No Cash, but still worth the $$.

TrueNeutral · « **Reply #22 on:** 12 Nov 2006, 01:05 »

Quote from: Kwi on 09 Nov 2006, 10:56

The Green Green Grass of Home

Mmhmmm.

livingthelie · « **Reply #23 on:** 12 Nov 2006, 02:29 »

i second cocaine blues. that and anything off of "America" i especially like the spoken word parts. cuz he had a rockin' voice.

Brian Majestic · « **Reply #24 on:** 12 Nov 2006, 06:06 »

As a huuuge Cash fan, this question is pretty hard, just because I'm not sure what are considered songs that everyone knows.

As has been previously mentioned, "One Piece At A Time" is a gem. Plus, it's the first instance of the word "psychobilly", so all the psycho kids love this one.

My own pick, if I was forced to only pick one, though, is "Mean Eyed Cat". There's two different versions of this song - one from the Sun Studio days, and then he later re-recorded it for "Unchained". I personally prefer the original, because it doesn't have the extra verses present in the Unchained version, and is more quiet.

"Daddy Sang Bass" is beautiful and auto-biographical.

"Understand Your Man" - Ahhhh. Great. Not much else to say but to listen to it.

Other notables would be the duet with Dylan on "Girl From North Country", a live cover of "Me and Bobby McGee", "Wayfaring Stranger", "Joe Bean" and "Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart" and frankly about 100 more.

Inlander · « **Reply #25 on:** 12 Nov 2006, 08:10 »

Quote from: Brian Majestic on 12 Nov 2006, 06:06

"Daddy Sang Bass" is beautiful and auto-biographical.

Well, it's more biographical of Carl Perkins . . . Still a nice song, though.

Kwi · « **Reply #26 on:** 12 Nov 2006, 11:26 »

Quote from: !!!CPAOI!!! on 10 Nov 2006, 06:37

Quote from: Kwi on 09 Nov 2006, 10:56
His cover of the U2 song 'One'

It seems to be his gimmick, take a rockin' song by a crappy band and make it orgasmic.

Suck on my balls. I'm sure I'll get plenty of hate for this, but pre-91 U2 produced some great albums.

I actually Love Pre- All That You Can't Leave behind U2

In moderation.

Specifically Bullet the Blue Sky, and Eleven O'Clock Tick Toc.

manc_ill_kid · « **Reply #27 on:** 12 Nov 2006, 15:56 »

The first Johnny Cash song I ever heard was Chicken In Black, so when I was young I assumed he was some kind of novelty act akin to the birdie song.

Its about how he got brain cancer and had to have a brain transplant with a bank robber, and so in the middle of gig he becomes the Manhatten Flash, the greatest bank robber in New York, on the other hand his brain gets put into a chicken's head and become a successful country star, Chicken in Black, you should check it out some time

Now my opinion has changed, but Chicken in Black is still one of his best.

Brian Majestic · « **Reply #28 on:** 12 Nov 2006, 23:23 »

Quote from: Inlander on 12 Nov 2006, 08:10

Quote from: Brian Majestic on 12 Nov 2006, 06:06
"Daddy Sang Bass" is beautiful and auto-biographical.

Well, it's more biographical of Carl Perkins . . . Still a nice song, though.

Crap doodle! You are correct. Liner notes say it was written by Perkins...always sorta assumed it was by Cash though, with mention of a dead brother, etc.

Incidentally, my favorite Perkins track is "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby".

The Eyeball Kid · « **Reply #29 on:** 14 Nov 2006, 04:33 »

Long Black Veil
his cover of Cave's The Mercy Seat
but my absoluate fave (and i have no idea where it comes from) is a track called Rockabilly Blues. really fun fun fun stuff
and i'll second Sunday Morning Coming Down

Will · « **Reply #30 on:** 14 Nov 2006, 08:54 »

The Nick Cave cover was amazing.

Borondir · « **Reply #31 on:** 14 Nov 2006, 11:02 »

Quote from: thegreatbuddha on 12 Nov 2006, 00:19

Speaking of Waylon Jennings, Highwayman is also a great song. If my memory hasn't failed me yet, it's Waylon Jennings, Niel Young, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson. No Cash, but still worth the $$.

Highwayman is a great song, but the Highwaymen was actually an outlaw country supergroup of Willie, Kris, Waylon, and the Man in Black himself. See, mentioning that song was more relevant to this thread than you knew!

From what I've read, Stan Jones, not Fred Penner, actually wrote (Ghost) Riders in the Sky . And its been played by tons of artists. Johnny does one of the best versions I've ever heard.

Although, yeah its actually a Kristofferson song, I absolutely love Sunday Morning Coming Down. From his earlier years, I like There You Go.
Of course Daddy Sang Bass is absolutely poignant, and brings back fond memories of singing along with my own dad, also a deep bass. As a kid, Johnny Cash was almost the only non-classical I ever listened to with my parents. And for yet another song that has already been mentioned, his duet with Dylan on Girl From the North Country is heartbreaking. And for special topical relevance with the Clint Eastwood movie and all, The Ballad of Ira Hayes is really wonderfully angry.

Orbert · « **Reply #32 on:** 14 Nov 2006, 23:18 »

The Highwaymen was indeed Johnny, Willie, Waylon, and Kris. They recorded three albums together and toured numerous times as well. I always figured they took their name from the song Highwayman.

thegreatbuddha · « **Reply #33 on:** 15 Nov 2006, 00:47 »

o_O

I can't even begin to imagine how I confused Young with Cash. I Hung My Head seems like an appropriate song to listen to now.

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Author Topic: Underrated Johnny Cash songs (Read 16381 times)

Kwi

!!!CPAOI!!!

PrinceMyshkin

TrueNeutral

livingthelie

Kwi

manc_ill_kid

The Eyeball Kid