Johnny Cash

[fox69]

"The Road To Kaintuck"

"The Road To Kaintuck"



We're goin' west to Kaintuck down the road to Moccasin Gap
Down the wilderness road
The Dug Road the old Reedy Creek Road
The Road down Troublesome Road through Moccasin Gap

There was a time when goin' way out west meant goin' to Kaintuck
The dark and bloody ground as Indians called it
Indians wars were ragin' and men like Daniel Boone and Michael Stoner
Came down the wilderness road like countless families did
Through a place in south West Virginia called Big Moccasin Gap
It's a hot day in '73 and this is my wife and my kids with me
Daniel Boone lost his boy the other day young Jim Boone is dead twenty miles away
The wagons turn and went back home even Daniel couldn't make it alone
I guess prob'ly Daniel could but he stopped awhile in castle wood

(If you love your wife and love your baby man
Turn your wagons back as soon as you can
Ev'ry Injun in these hills has gone berserk you never gonna make it to Kaintuck)
Ah I bet I'm gonna make it to Kaintuck

We're goin' west to Kaintuck down the road to Moccasin Gap
Down the wilderness road
The Dug Road the old Reedy Creek Road
The Road down Troublesome Road through Moccasin Gap

The Dug Road the old Reedy Creek Road
The Road down Troublesome Road through Moccasin Gap

 

[fox69]

"The Shifting Whispering Sands, Part I"

"The Shifting Whispering Sands, Part I"



I discovered the Valley of the Shifting, Whispering Sands
While prospecting in a western state
I saw the silent windmills, the crumbling water tanks
The bones of the cattle picked clean by buzzards
Bleached by the desert sun
I stumbled over a crumbling buck board
Nearly covered by the sand
And stopping to rest I heard a tinkling, whispering sound
And suddenly realized that even though the wind was quiet
The sand did not lie still
I seemed to be surrounded be a mystery
So heavy and apperceive I could scarcely breath
For weeks I wondered aimlessly in the valley
Seeking answers to the many questions that raced through my mind
Where was everyone? Why the white bones? The dry wells?
The barren valley where people must have lived and died
I sat down and buried my face in my hands
And resting I learned the secret of the Shifting, Whispering Sands
How I managed to escape from the valley I don't know
But now to pay my debt for being saved
I must tell you what I learned out on the desert
So many years ago

When the day is oddly quiet
And the breeze seems not to blow
One would think the sun is resting
But you'll find this is not so

It is whispering softly whispering
As it slowly moves along
And for those who stop and listen
It will sing this mournful song

Of sidewinders and the horn toads
On the thorny chaparral
In the sunny days and moonlight lights
The lonely coyotes yell

How the stars seem they can touch you
As you lay and gaze on high
At the heavens where your hoping
You'll be going when you die

 

[fox69]

"The Shifting Whispering Sands, Part II"

"The Shifting Whispering Sands, Part II"



Listen to the angel's story of the Shifting, Whispering Sands

Yes they always whisper to me
Of the days of long ago
When the settler and the miner
Fought the crafty Navajo

How the cattle roamed the valley
Happy people worked the land
Now everything is covered
By The Shifting, Whispering Sands

A miner left his buck board
Went to work his claim that day

And the burrows broke their halters
When they thought he'd gone to stay

How they found that ancient miner
Lying dead upon the sands
And for months they could but wonder
Did he die by human hands?

So they dug his grave and laid him
On his back and crossed his hands
And his secret still is covered
By the Shifting, Whispering Sands

And his secret is still hidden
By the Shifting, Whispering Sands

This is what they always whisper to me
Out on the quiet desert air
Of the people and the cattle
And that miner lying there

So if you want to learn the secret
Wander through this quiet land
And I'm sure you'll hear the story
Of the Shifting, Whispering Sands

And I'm sure you'll hear the story
Of the Shifting, Whispering Sands

 

[fox69]

"The Singing Star's Queen"

"The Singing Star's Queen"



Twinkle twinkle little star who's the greatest star what are (Waylon)

Now Waylon is a singer a record sellin' star the ladies love him and his band
Oh he sings like a bird and he plays a fine guitar
But I doubt that he's a home lovin' man
You oughta see his woman she's really a queen he buys her the finest of clothes
For you talk about beauties like none you ain't seen
When Waylon's gone she lets me know

When he's gone a singing I'm gone with his queen spreadin' his money around
But if you'll look for me and I can't be seen you'll know that Waylon's back in town

When Waylon's gone a singing I'm wearin' his suit I smoke his imported cigars
I like his woman wear out his boots I chauffeur his limousine cars
When he's making money he has to stay gone but if you should hear that he's around
Go buy his latest record or go see his show help me keep ol' Waylon out of town

When Waylon's out singing I'm gone with his queen...

Starkle starkle little twink Waylon's the greatest star I think
Bring him to your town join his fan club the journal you get the journal every year
A dollar is about all is costs don't you dare miss it come see Waylon

 

[fox69]

"The Sons Of Katie Elder"

"The Sons Of Katie Elder"



From the four winds we have come Katie Elder
Four brothers on the run Katie Elder
All your little ones have grown and we've reaped what we have sown
Yes we've reaped what we have sown Katie Elder

Oh the wind blows like the devil when it blows
And the boy grows up and like the wind he goes
So mothers teach your sons to not live by a gun
And to not live like the sons of Katie Elder
And to not live like the sons of Katie Elder

I think you'd understand Katie Elder
That a man is just a man Katie Elder
They're bound to cut him down if he doesn't stand his ground
But they haven't cut us down yet Katie Elder

Oh the wind blows...

We'll try to make it right Katie Elder
No more hidin' in the night Katie Elder
I vow it on your grave by all the things we never gave
And mistakes that we all made Katie Elder

Oh the wind blows...
And to not live like the sons of Katie Elder

 

[fox69]

"The Story Of A Broken Heart"

"The Story Of A Broken Heart"



Hmm the story of a broken heart
Well the sprinftime is coming and the honeybees are humming
And I just saw a robin flying by
While your wedding bells are ringing my poor heart is singing
The story of a broken heart hmm the story of a broken heart

When the trees start to blooding the mem'ries start to flooding
And my heart takes a trip to yesterday
When we walked neath the moon an our love was in bloom
Now we're two lovers drifted apart hmm the story of a broken heart

Now the wedding invitation forced out to your relation
But you ask me to give the pride away
Although I can't show it I think that you'll know it
A story that's told from my heart hmm the story of a broken heart

 

[fox69]

"The Talking Leaves"

"The Talking Leaves"



Sequoia's winters were sixteen silent tongue spirit clean
He walked at his father's side
Across the smoking battle ground where red and white men lay all around
So many here had died
The wind had scattered around snow white leaves upon the ground
Not leaves like leaves from trees
Sequoia said what can this be what's the strange thing here I see
From where come leaves like these
Sequoia turned to his father's eyes and he said father you're wise
From where come such snow white leaves
With such strange marks upon these squares
Not even the wise owl could put them there
So strange these snow white leaves
His father shielding his concern resenting the knowledge Sequoia yearned
Crumbled the snow white leaves
He said when I explain then it's done these are talking leaves my son
The white men's talking leaves
The white man takes a berry of black and red
And an eagle's feather from the eagle's bed
And he makes bird track marks
And the marks on the leaves they say carry messages to his brother far away
And his brother knows what's in his heart
They see these marks and they understand the truth in the heart of the far off man
The enemies can't hear them
Said Sequoia's father son they weave bad medicine on these talking leaves
Leave such things to them
Then Sequoia walking lightly followed his father quietly but so amazed was he
If the white man talks on leaves why not the Cherokee
Vanished from his father's face Sequoia went from place to place
But he could not forget
Year after year he worked on and on till finally he cut into stone
The Cherokee alphabet
Sequoia's hair by now was white his eyes began to lose their light
But he taught all who would believe
That the Indian's thoughts could be written down
Just as the white men's there on the ground and he left us these talking leaves

 

[fox69]

"The Ten Commandments"

"The Ten Commandments"



Moses led God's children out to find the promised land
And on the way he'd stop each day and look to Heaven and
Asked God for help as he could not withstand the task alone
And then one day he looked away and thereby lay a stone
God said write upon this stone these words I say to you
And if you all obey my rules I'll see you safely through
God opened Heaven's door and then He guided Moses' hands
And then He said go and tell my children these are my commands
Go and climb that mountain Moses climb that mountain now and pray
Climb that mountain now and tell us what our Lord has had to say
Thou shalt have no Gods before me is my great command
And thou shalt not make any graven image by thy hand
Thou shalt not take my name in vain if thou would guiltless be
Remember thou to keep the sabbath day alone for me
Honor thy father and thy mother and thou shalt not kill
Thou shalt not commit adult'ry and thou shalt not steal
Love thy neighbor as thyself and show thy neighbor peace
Covet not thy neighbor's house nor anything that's his
Go and climb that mountain...
Moses showed these words of God to all the children then
They pulled up stakes and headed out to find the promised land
That Moses had described to them and told of comforts there
The children of oppression thought they'd not find anywhere
But they were soon to part from him and push alone awhile
For it was never meant for him to walk that final mile
The children cried if we must go on Moses without you
Then talk to God just one more time and tell us what to do
Go and climb that mountain...
Thou shalt have no Gods before me...

 

[fox69]

"The Timber Man"

"The Timber Man"



Many, many years ago
When this land was young
A lot of our country was covered
By big tall beautiful trees

And men had to have the trees
To make wood, to build houses
Make furniture with, to make boats
Even to make paper with

So as more and more people came
More wood was needed
So more and more trees
Were cut down

And the man that lived in the forest
And cut down the trees
Was called the Timber man

Well, my world is green and dark and dumb
My home is in the loggin' camp
All week I cut down the mighty trees
Saturday I get to do as I please

I give the man more than his hire
And he'll never know it if I tire
Show me the toughest tree around
The Timber man will bring it down

Swing it hard, cut it clean
No halfway or in-between
Move when the axe is in my hand
Make way for the Timber man

Yeah, he was a mighty big tough man usually
That Timber man that lived in that forest
And cut down those big trees

Well, they say there's sawdust in my brain
And don't get caught out in the rain
I got stump water in my blood
The sweat from my brow turns the ground to mud

When the men don't know how to fell a tree
The one they'll come and ask is me
I'll mark my spot and I'll take my stand
The tree's gonna fall for the Timber man

Swing it hard, cut it clean
No halfway or in-between
Move when the axe is in my hand
Make way for the Timber man

And when they're cuttin' on a tree
And it's just about ready to fall
The man yells out timber, timber

 

[fox69]

"The Twentieth Century Is Almost Over"

"The Twentieth Century Is Almost Over"


Back in 1899, when everyone was singing "auld lang syne"
A century took a long, long time for every boy and girl.
Now there's only one thing that I'd like to know
Where did the 20th century go?
I'd swear it was here just a minute ago
All over this world.

[Chorus:]
And now the 20th century is almost over,
Almost over, almost over
The 20th century is almost over
All over this world.
All over this world, all over this world
The 20th century is almost over, all over this world.

Does anyone remember the great depression?
I read all about it in true confession
I'm sorry I was late for the recording session
But somebody put me on hold.
Has anybody seen my linoleum floors
Petroleum jelly, and two world wars?
They got stuck in the revolving doors
All over this world.
And now...

The winter's getting colder, summer's getting hotter
Wishin' well's wishin' for another drop of water.
And mother earth's blushin 'cause somebody caught her
Makin' love to the man in the moon.
Tell me how you gonna keep 'em down on the farm
Now that outer space has lost it's charm?
Somebody set off a burglar alarm
And not a moment too soon.
Because...

Old father time has got his toes a tappin'
Standing in the window, grumblin' and a rappin'
Everybody's waiting for something to happen.
Tell me if it happens to you!
The judgment day is getting nearer
There it is in the rear view mirror.
If you duck down I could see a little clearer
All over this world!
And now...