Johnny Cash

[fox69]

"The Man Comes Around"

"The Man Comes Around"



And I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder:
One of the four beasts saying: "Come and see." And I saw.
And behold, a white horse.

There's a man goin' 'round takin' names.
An' he decides who to free and who to blame.
Everybody won't be treated all the same.
There'll be a golden ladder reaching down.
When the man comes around.

The hairs on your arm will stand up.
At the terror in each sip and in each sup.
For you partake of that last offered cup,
Or disappear into the potter's ground.
When the man comes around.

Hear the trumpets, hear the pipers.
One hundred million angels singin'.
Multitudes are marching to the big kettle drum.
Voices callin', voices cryin'.
Some are born an' some are dyin'.
It's Alpha's and Omega's Kingdom come.

And the whirlwind is in the thorn tree.
The virgins are all trimming their wicks.
The whirlwind is in the thorn tree.
It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Till Armageddon, no Shalam, no Shalom.
Then the father hen will call his chickens home.
The wise men will bow down before the throne.
And at his feet they'll cast their golden crown.
When the man comes around.

Whoever is unjust, let him be unjust still.
Whoever is righteous, let him be righteous still.
Whoever is filthy, let him be filthy still.
Listen to the words long written down, When the man comes around.

Hear the trumpets, hear the pipers.
One hundred million angels singin'.
Multitudes are marchin' to the big kettle drum.
Voices callin', voices cryin'.
Some are born an' some are dyin'.
It's Alpha's and Omega's Kingdom come.

And the whirlwind is in the thorn tree.
The virgins are all trimming their wicks.
The whirlwind is in the thorn tree.
It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

In measured hundredweight and penny pound.
When the man comes around.

And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts,
And I looked and behold: a pale horse.
And his name, that sat on him, was Death.
And Hell followed with him.

 

[fox69]

"The Man In Black"

"The Man In Black"



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 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

Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose
In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back
Up front there ought to be a Man In Black

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

Well, there's things that never will be right I know
And things need changin' everywhere you go
But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right
You'll never see me wear a suit of white

Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day
And tell the world that everything's okay
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back
Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black

 

[fox69]

"The Man On The Hill"

"The Man On The Hill"



Will we get cold and hungry
Will times be very bad?
When we're needin' bread and meat
Where we gonna get it, Dad?

We'll get it from the man
In the house on the hill
Yes we will from the man on the hill

Ploughin' time is over
Still the fields are bare
How we gonna make a livin'
With twenty acres to share?

I'll beg for more land
From the man on the hill
Yes I will, I'll ask the man on the hill

I ain't got no Sunday shoes
That I can wear to town
Papa reckon the boss has got
A pair of hand-me-downs

I'll go and ask the man
In the house on the hill
Yes I will, I'll ask the man on the hill

Maybe he will help us
Maybe we'll get by
But who's gonna pay the dyin' bills
If we all should die

We'll leave it to the man
In the sky when we die
Yes we'll leave it to the man in the sky

 

[fox69]

"The Man Who Couldn't Cry"

"The Man Who Couldn't Cry"



There once was a man who just couldn't cry
He hadn't cried for years and for years
Napalmed babies and the movie love story
For instance could not produce tears
As a child he had cried as all children will
Then at some point his tear ducts ran dry
He grew to be a man, the feces hit the fan
Things got bad, but he couldn't cry

His dog was run over, his wife up and left him
And after that he got sacked from his job
Lost his arm in the war, was laughed at by a whore
Ah, but sill not a sniffle or sob

His novel was refused, his movie was panned
And his big Broadway show was a flop

He got sent off to jail; you guessed it, no bail
Oh, but still not a dribble or drop

In jail he was beaten, bullied and buggered
And made to make license plates
Water and bread was all he was fed
But not once did a tear stain his face

Doctors were called in, scientists, too
Theologians were last and practically least

They all agreed sure enough; this was sure no cream puff
But in fact an insensitive beast

He was removed from jail and placed in a place
For the insensitive and the insane
He played lots of chess and made lots of friends
And he wept every time it would rain

Once it rained forty days and it rained forty nights
And he cried and he cried and he cried and he cried

On the forty-first day, he passed away
He just dehydrated and died

Well, he went up to heaven, located his dog
Not only that, but he rejoined his arm
Down below, all the critics, they loot it all back
Cancer robbed the whore of her charm

His ex-wife died of stretch marks, his ex-employer went broke
The theologians were finally found out

Right down to the ground, that old jail house burned down
The earth suffered perpetual drought

 

[fox69]

"The Masterpiece"

"The Masterpiece"



There was an old stone-cutter who lived in a cabin on the mountain side
And the old stone-cutter knew it won't be long before he died
And all around his cabin were statues the man had made
Statues that the buyers said were all of a mediocre grade
With his calloused hands he lit a lamp and laid down his head on his handmade table
And he softly whispered Lord I'm old and shaky and I'm hardly able
But give me strenght and wisdom and give me a week at least
And I'll climb up to the top of this mountain and chisel out a masterpiece
The very next morning he felt new strenght
And he took his brand new hammer and the sharpest chisel
He began to climb the mountain his old feet slipping in the freezing dizzle
When he finally reached the top he shouted to a world that didn't hear
I'll carve my masterpiece out of this marble boulder here
So the hammer beat the chisel and he hammered till an image grew
Then he stopped to look it over to appraise his work when he was through
It was a boy carrying a crippled boy and the old man said it isn't my masterpiece
I'll call it charity and then a masterpiece of mine will be
So the hammer beat the chisel til another immage in a marbel grew
Then the wind began to blowing and he sat and rested when he was through
It was the image of a mother holding her child
He said this is love as the world would know
But it isn't my masterpiece and he began again as it began to snow
The hammer beat the chisel as the snow fell harder and the wind grew and grew
He fell to his knees holding a stone and he threw down his hammer and his chisel too
He lay frozen face down in the snow but one hand was held for the world to see
Cut in the marble was his masterpice three neatly carved letters GOD

 

[fox69]

"The Matador"

"The Matador"



The crowd is waiting for the bullfight
Matador
My final fight the place is packed once more
Anita won't throw me a rose this fight
The one she wears is not for me tonight

She's watching now with her new love I know
Walk proud and slow
Be strong and sure give the crowd their show
They want blood you know!
You're still their idol as you were before
Kill just one more!
Remind Anita, you're the greatest Matador

Walk on out, forget Anita in the stands
Be a tall and brave and noble man
Be better than you've ever been before
Make this you're greatest moment Matador

She's watching now with her new love I know
Walk proud and slow
Be strong and sure give the crowd a show
They want blood you know!
You're still their idol as you were before
Kill just one more!
Remind Anita, you're the greatest Matador

 

[fox69]

"The Mercy Seat"

"The Mercy Seat"



It all began when they took me from my home
And put me on Death Row,
a crime for which I am totally innocent, you know.

I began to warm and chill
To objects and their fields,
A ragged cup, a twisted mop
The face of Jesus in my soup
Those sinister dinner deals
The meal trolley's wicked wheels
A hooked bone rising from my food
All things either good or ungood.

And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this weighing of the truth.
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die.

I hear stories from the chamber
Christ was born into a manger
And like some ragged stranger
He died upon the cross
Might I say, it seems so fitting in its way
He was a carpenter by trade
Or at least that's what I'm told

My kill-hand's
tatooed E.V.I.L. across it's brother's fist
That filthy five! They did nothing to challenge or resist.

In Heaven His throne is made of gold
The ark of his Testament is stowed
A throne from which I'm told
All history does unfold.
It's made of wood and wire
And my body is on fire
And God is never far away.

Into the mercy seat I climb
My head is shaved, my head is wired
And like a moth that tries
To enter the bright eye
I go shuffling out of life
Just to hide in death awhile
And anyway I never lied.

And the mercy seat is waiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this weighing of the truth.
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die

And the mercy seat is burning
And I think my head is glowing
And in a way I'm hopin'
to be done with all this twistin' of the truth.
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And any way there was no proof
And I'm not afraid to die

And the mercy seat is glowing
And I think my head is smoking
And in a way I'm hopin'
to be done with all these looks of disbelief.
A life for a life
And a truth for a truth
And I've got nothin' left to loose.
And I'm not afraid to die

And the mercy seat is smoking
And I think my head is melting
And in a way that's helpin'
to be done with all this twistin' of the truth
An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And any way I told the truth
But I'm afraid I told a lie.

 

[fox69]

"The Mystery Of Life"

"The Mystery Of Life"



Peterbilt drivers don't pick up low riders
They don't slow for the curves in the road
They hate to keep logs, they hate riders on hogs
Watch out for a shift in your load

When I was young, I had Gene Autry guns
But I never had a Lionel train
Now I've got a truck, if I keep payments up
And it weighs thirty tons in the rain

I wear Frisco jeans with riveted seams
My money is chained to my belt
I wear a Cat cap just like my pap
He drove till it ruined his health

Now, Georgia Bill Smith wore thick glasses and boots
He could see 'bout as far as he could walk
He came up too fast on that bridge overpass
Lord, the preacher sure gave a fine talk

When I was young, I had Gene Autry guns
But I never had a Lionel train
Now I've got a truck if I keep payments up
And it weighs thirty tons in the rain

I've read a few lines from the poets
And sometimes, I might cross the line
I don't know the answer to the mystery of life
But a woman sure helps pass the time

When I was young, I had Gene Autry guns
But I never had a Lionel train
Now I've got a truck if I keep payments up
And it weighs thirty tons in the rain

When I was young, I had Gene Autry guns
But I never had a Lionel train
Now I've got a truck if I keep payments up
And it weighs thirty tons in the rain

 

[fox69]

"The Next Time I'm In Town"

"The Next Time I'm In Town"


Well it's been something seeing you again
And in this time we've had to spend
You've been so good to be around
I thank you for that special thrill
Keeps me going on until the next time I'm in town

Though I won't be back here for a while
I'll hear your laughter see your smile
I'll remember what went down
Though I don't know how or when
I'll be seeing you again the next time I'm in town

Until the next time that I'll be passing through
Think of all the things we've go to look forward to
Checking up on old friends staying up all night long
Playing jukebox music singing old country songs
Now the faces and the places range across the bridge of time
And change and once again I'm homeward bound
But there's one thing I promise you
And that's another rendezvous the next time I'm in town

 

[fox69]

"The Night Hank Williams Came To Town"

"The Night Hank Williams Came To Town"



Harry Truman was our president
A coke an burger cost you thirty cents
I was still in love with Mavis Brown
On the night Hank Williams came to town.

"I Love Lucy" debuted on TV
That was one big event we didn't see
'Cause no one stayed at home for miles around
It was the night Hank Williams came to town.

Mama ironed my shirt and daddy let me take the truck
I drove on out to Grapevine and picked old Mavis up
We hit that county line for one quick round
On the night HANK WILLIAMS came to town.

A thousand people sweltered in the gym
Then I heard someone whisper; "Hey, that's him"
That's when the crowd let out this deafening sound
It was the night Hank Williams came to town.

On and on he sang into the night
'Jambalaya', 'Cheatin' heart', 'I saw the light'
How'd they get Miss Audrey in that gown
On the night Hank Williams came to town.

Mavis had her picture made with Hank outside his car
She said; "He sure is humble for a Grand Ole Opry Star."
Mavis said: "Why don't we hang around
It ain't often that Hank Williams comes to town."

While Hank signed his autograph on Beaulah Rice's fan
Mavis got acquainted with the Driftin' Cowboys Band
The effect on all our lives was quite profound
On the night Hank Williams came to town.