Friday, September 12, 2003  

R.I.P. Johnny Cash

I will truly miss him and his music. His cover of Nick Cave's The Mercy Seat is one of the most haunting things I've ever heard, and what can you say about Folsom Prison Blues, where he killed a man in Reno just to watch him die?

I've been to Reno, and anyone who's killed people there is aces in my book.

I also remember seeing this and laughing my ass off for about five minutes. Johnny Cash: proto-punk.

Rest in peace, Johnny, and I hope when we see you again, you'll be wearing the loudest goddamn jacket we've ever seen:

The Man in Black

Well you wonder why I always dress in black
Why you never see bright colors on my back
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone
Well there's a reason for the things that I have on

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down
Livin' in the hopeless hungry side of town
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime
But is there because he's a victim of the times

I wear the black for those who've never read
Or listened to the words that Jesus said
About the road to happiness through love and charity
Why you'd think he's talking straight to you and me

Well we're doin' mighty fine I do suppose
In our streak of lightning cars and fancy clothes
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back
Up front there oughta be a man in black

I wear it for the sick and lonely old
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold
I wear the black in morning for the lives that could have been
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men

And I wear it for the thousands who have died
Believin' that the Lord was on their side
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died
Believin' that we all were on their side

Well there's things that never will be right I know
And things need changin' everywhere you go
But till we start to make a move to make a few things right
You'll never see me wear a suit of white

Oh I'd love to wear a rainbow every day and tell the world that everything's okay
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back
Till things're brighter I'm the man in black