Inside the walls of a prison my body may be, but my Lord has set... by Johnny Cash

Inside the walls of a prison my body may be, but my Lord has set my soul free.

Johnny Cash

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My mother was determined that I was going to leave the farm and do well in life. And she thought with the gift, I might be able to do that. So she took in washing. She got a washing machine in 1942 as soon as we got electricity and she took in washing. She washed the schoolteacher's clothes and anybody she could and sent me for singing lessons for $3 per lesson.

clothes singing mother

The requests started coming in from other prisoners all over the United States. And then the word got around. So I always wanted to record that, you know, to record a show because of the reaction I got. It was far and above anything I had ever had in my life, the complete explosion of noise and reaction that they gave me with every song. So then I came back the next year and played the prison again, the New Year's Day show, came back again a third year and did the show.

new-year song years

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.

cash calling believe

Sam Phillips asked me to go write a love song, or maybe a bitter weeper. So I wrote a song called, "Cry Cry Cry," went back in and recorded that for the other side of the record.

records writing song

In the Air Force, I had an old Wilcox Gay recorder, and I used to hear guitar runs on that recorder going (vocalizing) like the chords on "I Walk The Line." And I always wanted to write a love song using that theme, that tune.

writing running song

I used to sing Bill Monroe songs. And I'd sing Dennis Day songs like songs that he sang on the Jack Benny show.

bills used song

I worked there [on Pontiac] three weeks, got really sick of it, went back home and joined the Air Force.

sick air home

A song stylist is, like, to take an old folk song like "Delia's Gone" and do a modern white man's version of it.

white-man song men

We [with Rick Rubin] would focus on the ones that we did like, that felt right and sounded right. And if I didn't like the performance on that song, I would keep trying it and do take after take until it felt comfortable with me and felt that it was coming out of me and my guitar and my voice as one, that it was right for my soul.

guitar voice song

Rick Rubin had his hair - I don't think it's ever been cut and very - dresses like a hobo, usually - clean but . Was the kind of guy I really felt comfortable with, actually. I think I was more comfortable with him than I would have been with a producer with a suit on.

cutting hair thinking

My contract with mercury PolyGram Nashville was about to expire. And I never had really been happy. The company, the record company, just didn't put any promotion behind me. I think one album, maybe the last one I did, they pressed 500 copies. And I was just disgusted with it. And about that time that I got to feeling that way, Lou Robin, my manager, came to me and talked to me about a man called Rick Rubin that he had been talking to that wanted me to sign with his record company.

nashville men thinking

Sam [Phillips] wanted I Walk The Line up - you know, up-tempo. And I put paper in the strings of my guitar to get that (vocalizing) sound, and with the bass and the lead guitar, there it was. Bare and stark, that song was when it was released. And I heard it on the radio and I really didn't like it, and I called Sam Phillips and asked him please not to send out any more records of that song.

guitar lines song

It was kind of a prodding myself to play I Walk The Line straight... by Johnny Cash

It was kind of a prodding myself to play I Walk The Line straight.

lines kind play

Sam Phillips responded most to a song of mine called, "Hey Porter... by Johnny Cash

Sam Phillips responded most to a song of mine called, "Hey Porter," which was on the first record.

hey records song

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.

making-a-difference empathy differences

I say I'm not a singer, so that means I can't sing. But - doesn't... by Johnny Cash

I say I'm not a singer, so that means I can't sing. But - doesn't it?

singers i-can mean

I developed a pretty unusual style, I think. by Johnny Cash

I developed a pretty unusual style, I think.

unusual style thinking

I've got no deep voice today. I've got a cold. But when I was you... by Johnny Cash

I've got no deep voice today. I've got a cold. But when I was young, I had a high tenor voice.

cold voice today

I've always explored various areas of society. by Johnny Cash

I've always explored various areas of society.

various areas

The hardest thing for me in Vietnam wasn't seeing the wounded and dead. It was watching the big transport jets come in, bringing loads of fresh new boys for the war.

vietnam boys war