That was American Recordings. I said, I like the name, maybe it'd be OK. So I said, I'd like to meet the guy [Rick Rubin ].I'd like for him to tell me what he can do with me that they're not doing now. Johnny Cash More Quotes by Johnny Cash More Quotes From Johnny Cash If you have political convictions... keep 'em to yourself Johnny Cash convictionemspolitical He was removed from jail and placed in a place for the insensitive and insane. Johnny Cash jaillaworder 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. Johnny Cash flagsmorningnight 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. Johnny Cash mothersonghands 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. Johnny Cash pondscabinsbird Some gal would giggle and I'd get red, and some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head. I tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue. Johnny Cash guylaughingboys [My father] did every kind of work imaginable from painting to shoveling to herding cattle. And he's always been such an inspiration to me because of the very kinds of things that he did and the kind of life he lived. Johnny Cash paintinginspirationfather Call him drunken Ira Hayes, he won't answer any more. Not the whiskey drinking Indian, nor the Marine that went to war. Johnny Cash marinedrinkingwar When I record somebody else's song, I have to make it my own or it doesn't feel right. I'll say to myself, I wrote this and he doesn't know it! Johnny Cash feels-rightrecordssong When I finally stopped [singing], he had been saying, like, the last day or so, he'd been saying, now, I think we should put this one in the album. So without him saying I want to record you and release an album, he kept - he started saying, let's put this one in the album. So the album, this big question, you know, began to take form, take shape. And Rick [Rubin] and I would weed out the songs. Johnny Cash weedsongthinking After about three lessons [my] voice teacher said, "Don't take voice lessons. Do it your way. You're a song stylist. Always do it your way." Johnny Cash voicesongteacher [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. Johnny Cash linesgivingway 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. Johnny Cash bonessingingsong When I was 17 - 16, my father and I cut wood all day long and I was swinging that crosscut saw and hauling wood. Johnny Cash cuttinglongfather 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. Johnny Cash guitarone-daysteps I did [picking cotton] from - until I was 18 years old, that is. Then I picked the guitar, and I've been picking it since. Johnny Cash cottonguitaryears 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. Johnny Cash creativitywritingsong When I was arrested I was dressed in black Johnny Cash arrestedblack I Walk The Line was my third record. Johnny Cash recordslineswalks Canadian Railroad Trilogy is an extremely fine piece of songwriting. Johnny Cash trilogiesrailroadspieces