The
Line
He wears all black
like the man in—
wore back
in the boom-shicka-boomin’
days to protest injustice, he said.
But this current bearer
carries a stomach
dripping over his silver buckle
seeking the floor, spilling down and out
toward the door
—so much more to slide
under a T-shirt gobbling all light
and fill a fat field of resistance
with a span so much wider
than the Arkansas man
with the flat-topped box.
Yet is his voice just the same
or wrapped too deeply in the flesh
that can only surround, feel agitation
within and out-coming in
—or with enough of a skin sense
to prickle at least in recognition-heat
of the loss, pain of others
cleft from it by the comfort of thin feet?
like the man in—
wore back
in the boom-shicka-boomin’
days to protest injustice, he said.
But this current bearer
carries a stomach
dripping over his silver buckle
seeking the floor, spilling down and out
toward the door
—so much more to slide
under a T-shirt gobbling all light
and fill a fat field of resistance
with a span so much wider
than the Arkansas man
with the flat-topped box.
Yet is his voice just the same
or wrapped too deeply in the flesh
that can only surround, feel agitation
within and out-coming in
—or with enough of a skin sense
to prickle at least in recognition-heat
of the loss, pain of others
cleft from it by the comfort of thin feet?
And It Burns -- Joshua Morton
Johnny Cash was an American singer-songwriter who was popular from the 1950 even until after his death in 2003. By the early 1970s he crystallized his public image as "The Man in Black" by regularly performing all in black, including a black knee-length coat. Originally he and his backing gang had worn black shirts because that was the only matching color they had in common, but eventually the costume took on a social role: He claimed he wore “black” on behalf of the poor, the hungry, "the prisoner who has long paid for his crime," and those who have been betrayed by age or drugs. And, with the Vietnam War as painful in my mind as it was in most other Americans, I wore it 'in mournin' for the lives that could have been' .... The old are still neglected, the poor are still poor, the young are still dying before their time, and we're not making many moves to make things right. There's still plenty of darkness to carry off.” Though he was an air force veteran, sailors used to refer to their winter blue uniforms as "Johnny Cashes" since their shirts, ties, and trousers were solid black. When he moved to Memphis, Tennessee, 1in 1954, after finishing his military service, he formed a back-up band featuring Luther Perkins, who had bought a Fender Esquire electric guitar that had been modified by a previous owner; the volume and tone controls did not work, so he muted the 3 bass strings (E, A and D) with the heel of his right hand and scratched a rhythm pattern. This pattern developed into a more defined, varying 1/8-8/5/8-8 picking (with random syncopation) which was dubbed the "boom-chicka-boom" or "freight train" rhythm. (The term came from Bob Merrill’s 1953 song, “Chicka Boom,” recorded by Guy Mitchell.) “Boom Chicka Boom” was the title of Cash’s 76th album (1990.)
ReplyDeleteIn a little cabaret in a South Texas border town,
Sat a boy and his guitar, and the people came from miles around.
And all the girls from there to Austin,
Were slipping away from home and putting jewelery in hock.
To take the trip, to go and listen,
To the little dark-haired boy who played the Tennessee flat top box.
And he would play,
Well, he couldn't ride or wrangle, and he never cared to make a dime.
But give him his guitar, and he'd be happy all the time.
And all the girls from nine to ninety,
Were snapping fingers, tapping toes, and begging him: "Don't stop."
And hypnotized and fascinated,
By the little dark-haired boy who played the Tennessee flat top box.
And he would play,
Then one day he was gone, and no one ever saw him 'round,
He'd vanished like the breeze, they forgot him in the little town.
But all the girls still dreamed about him.
And hung around the cabaret until the doors were locked.
And then one day on the Hit Parade,
Was a little dark-haired boy who played the Tennessee flat top box.
And he would play
“I Walk the Line” was Cash’s 1st no. 1 hit on the Billboard charts; it remained on the record charts for over 43 weeks in 1956 and sold over 2 million copies. Over the course of his career he recorded the song 5 times, but in the original recording he hummed the new root note before singing each verse, since there was a key change between each one; the last verse was sung almost a full octave lower than the first verse, from D5 down to E4. He also put a piece of paper under the strings towards the tuning end of his guitar to simulate the sound of a snare drum. The chord progression was inspired by backwards playback of guitar runs on his tape recorder when he was the air force. He wrote the song in 20 minutes in 1956, while he was backstage during a performance in Gladewater, Texas. He originally intended it as a slow ballad, but producer Sam Phillips suggested the faster arrangement that Cash recorded. Carl Perkins suggested that he call it “I Walk the Line.”
ReplyDeleteI keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you're mine, I walk the line
I find it very, very easy to be true
I find myself alone when each day's through
Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you
Because you're mine, I walk the line
As sure as night is dark and day is light
I keep you on my mind both day and night
And happiness I've known proves that it's right
Because you're mine, I walk the line
You've got a way to keep me on your side
You give me cause for love that I can't hide
For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide
Because you're mine, I walk the line
I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you're mine, I walk the line