Johnny Cash
Canadian Railroad Trilogy is an extremely fine piece of songwriting.Collection: Railroads
One day, I just decided I'm ready to go. So I went down with my guitar and sat on the front steps of Sam Phillips recording studio.Collection: Guitar
Now that I know that I've needed you so, help me, Jesus. My soul's in your hand.Collection: Jesus
Of travel I've had my share, man, I've been everywhere.Collection: Travel
He went up to heaven, located his dog. Not only that, but he rejoined his arm.Collection: Death
I wear the black for those who never read.Collection: Black
My way of communicating with God as a boy (and often even now) was through the lyrics of a song. . . . So I didn't have the problem some people do who say, "I don't know how to pray." I used the songs to communicate with God. . . . To me, songs were the telephone to heaven, and I tied up the line quite a bit.Collection: Song
I started to write the song. And I was in Gladewater, Texas, one night with Carl Perkins and I said, I've got a good idea for a song. And I sang him the first verse that I had written, and I said it's called "Because You're Mine." And he said, "I Walk The Line" is a better title, so I changed it to "I Walk The Line."Collection: Song
There's a man going 'round taking names / And 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.Collection: Men
[My mother] called [my voice] the gift.Collection: Mother
I wear black for those who never read or listen to the words that Jesus said, about the road to happiness, through love and charity.Collection: Religious
I love the young people.Collection: People
He was removed from jail and placed in a place for the insensitive and insane.Collection: Order
I sang those old gospel songs for my mother, and she said, is that you? And I said, yes, ma'am. And she came over and put her arms around me and said, God's got his hands on you.Collection: Mother
Call him drunken Ira Hayes, he won't answer any more. Not the whiskey drinking Indian, nor the Marine that went to war.Collection: War
I met Sam Phillips when he came in [studio] and I said, I'm John Cash. I'm the one who's been calling. And if you'd listen to me, I believe you'll be glad you did. And he said, come on in. That was a good lesson for me, you know, to believe in myself.Collection: Believe
I had an empathy for prisoners and did concerts for them back when I thought that it would make a difference - you know? - that they really were there to be rehabilitated.Collection: Differences
I worked there [on Pontiac] three weeks, got really sick of it, went back home and joined the Air Force.Collection: Home
I took the easy way, and to an extent I regret that. Still, though, the way we did it was honest. We played it and sang it the way we felt it, and there's a lot to be said for that.Collection: Regret
I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.Collection: Men
I'm thankful for the sea breeze that feels so good right now, and the scent of jasmine when the sun starts going down.Collection: Appreciation
Convicts are the best audience I ever played for.Collection: Audience
Gospel music is so ingrained into my bones. I can't do a concert without singing a gospel song. It's what I was raised on.Collection: Song
However, neither he nor anyone else could have become the star Elvis was. Ain't nobody like Elvis. Never was.Collection: Stars
So I simply don't buy the concept of "Generation X" as the "lost generation." I see too many good kids out there, kids who are ready and willing to do the right thing, just as Jack was. Their distractions are greater, though. There's no more simple life with simple choices for the young.Collection: Kids
We went down [Folsom Prison] and there's a rodeo at all these shows that the prisoners have there. And in between the rodeo things, they asked me to set up and do two or three songs. So that was what I did. I did "Folsom Prison Blues," which they thought was their song - you know? - and "I Walk The Line," "Hey Porter," "Cry, Cry, Cry." And then the word got around on the grapevine that Johnny Cash is all right and that you ought to see him.Collection: Song
My daddy left home when I was three and he didn't leave much to Ma and me, just this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze.Collection: Family
When I get an idea for a song it would gel in my mind for weeks or months, and then one day just like that, Ill write it.Collection: Song
[Sam Phillips] laughed at me. I just didn't like the way I Walk The Line sounded to me. I didn't know I sounded that way. And I didn't like it. I don't know. But he said let's give it a chance, and it was just a few days until - that's all it took to take off.Collection: Giving
I kept talking to my producers at Columbia about recording one of those [prison] shows. So we went into Folsom on February 11, 1968, and recorded a show live.Collection: Talking
This business I'm in is different. It's special. The people around me feel like brothers and sisters. We hardly know each other, but we're that close; somehow there's been an immediate bonding between total strangers. We share each other's triumphs, and when one of us gets hurt, we all bleed - it's corny, I know, but it's true. I've never experienced anything like this before. It's great. It turns up the heat in life.Collection: Hurt
I got really excited about it. But then we went into the studio and tried to record some with different musicians, and it didn't sound good. It didn't work. So we put together the album [Unchained] with just a guitar and myself.Collection: Guitar
You know, the man's best friend is his dog... if he's got nothing else.Collection: Dog
I could wrap myself in the warm cocoon of a song and go anywhere.Collection: Song
I expect my life to end pretty soon. You know, I'm 71 years old. I have great faith, though. I have unshakable faith.Collection: Years
So we raise her up every morning, we take her down every night, we don't let her touch the ground and we fold her up right. On second thought, I do like to brag 'cause I'm mighty proud of the Ragged Old Flag.Collection: Morning
San Quentin, may you rot and burn in hell. May your walls fall and may I live to tell.Collection: Wall
It's all fleeting. As fame is fleeting, so are all the trappings of fame fleeting. The money, the clothes, the furniture.Collection: Clothes
I like to sit on the front porch of an old cabin I built in the woods and just listen to the birds; I like to fish in the pond and I always throw the fish back.Collection: Bird
You're so heavenly minded, you're no earthly good.Collection: Heavenly
It makes me so mad that some people underestimate the wisdom and energy of young people. All because they don't look the way older folks think they should look. I'm working on a song about it. Maybe some of those closed minded people will realize long hair and tattoos don't mean they should be ignored. Close minded people are part of what's wrong with this world.Collection: Tattoo
The battle against the dark one and the clinging to the right one is what my life is about.Collection: Dark
Jesus will not fail me, I shall not be moved.Collection: Jesus
Creative people have to be fed from the divine source. I have to get fed. I had to get filled up in order to pour out.Collection: Order
I don't like it, but I guess things happen that way.Collection: Expression
The gospel of Christ must always be an open door with a welcome sign for all.Collection: Doors
Loneliness is emptiness, but happiness is you.Collection: Inspirational
Inside the walls of a prison my body may be, but my Lord has set my soul free.Collection: Wall
My arms are too short to box with God.Collection: Inspirational