One of my strongest childhood memories with my dad is listening to him sing Johnny Cash songs, then patiently answering questions I had about their stories. For example, where was the narrator waking up in “Green, Green Grass Of Home”? Where is Folsom Prison, anyway? Indeed, Cash’s songs have a way of grabbing even young listeners who don’t realize how dark some of the country singer’s catalogue really is. Cash is extraordinary in that way.
Still, that’s not to say that there are no other musical artists who embody this same kind of gothic country feeling that the Man in Black made so famous. Whether through their production styles, lyrical content, or vocal timbre, these four songs come awfully close to the late, great Johnny Cash.
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“Six White Horses” by Tommy Cash
Upon first listening to “Six White Horses” by Tommy Cash, the singer’s relation to Johnny Cash is apparent. The two men share similar baritone voices, which would make sense, since Johnny was Tommy’s older brother. “Six White Horses” has all the trappings of a great Johnny tune: mention of horses, memorable country riff, and an overwhelming sense of foreboding. Interestingly, the 1970 track references three political assassinations: John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Bobby Kennedy.
“I’ll Be Here In The Morning” by Townes Van Zandt
While Townes Van Zandt has a decidedly different sound than Johnny Cash, the musicians share a similar melancholy in the way they wrote songs. Van Zandt’s bittersweet “I’ll Be Here In The Morning” exemplified the Texas-born musician’s ability to make even romantic sentiments sound sad. Given Cash’s tumultuous life on the road, it’s easy to make a connection between the Man in Black and Van Zandt’s track from his 1968 album, For The Sake Of The Song.
“You Can Have The Crown” by Johnny Blue Skies
Before he was Johnny Blue Skies, Sturgill Simpson released his debut album, High Top Mountain, in 2013. Track No. 6, “You Can Have The Crown”, has all the same raucous energy as Johnny Cash when he was in his peak debauchery phase. The driving country groove sets the nail, and the lyrics hammer it home. “Well, they call me King Turd up here on S*** Mountain / If you want it, you can have the crown.”
“The Devil Wears A Suit And Tie” by Colter Wall
Colter Wall has been drawing comparisons to outlaw country and its most iconic players since he first broke onto the scene in the mid-2010s, and it’s easy to see why. With his pared-back arrangements and deep, world-weary voice, Wall sounds like a somber reincarnation of Johnny Cash himself. “The Devil Wears A Suit And Tie” from his debut EP, Imaginary Appalachia, could have just as easily appeared on one of Cash’s late-era American recordings.
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