The Johnny Cash Song Horror Punk Pioneer Glenn Danzig Wrote Specifically for the Man in Black

Johnny Cash released American Recordings in 1994. It was the first of his career-reviving series of Rick Rubin-produced albums for the American Recordings label. The album was also his highest-charting solo release in more than a decade. The 13-track collection featured songs penned by Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Leonard Cohen, and several other A-list songwriters. However, one name stands out among the rest. Glenn Danzig, who penned the song “Thirteen.”

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Danzig released his first four solo albums on American Recordings (formerly Def American). Rubin produced or co-produced all four of them. As a result, he had a working relationship with the horror punk pioneer. So, when it was time to gather songs for Cash’s first release on American Recordings, Rubin reached out to Danzig.

[RELATED: On This Day in 2006, Johnny Cash’s Second Posthumous Album Gave Him His First Solo No. 1 in Decades]

Some would think that these artists couldn’t be much different. Cash is a country music icon and a folk singer. Danzig, on the other hand, pioneered horror punk with his band the Misfits. His future work, including his solo releases and his work with Samhain, carried on the horror movie and occult themes of his work with the Misfits. However, they were both fans of 1950s rock and roll. More than that, the Evil Elvis is a fan of the Man in Black.

Glenn Danzig Reflects on Writing “Thirteen” for Johnny Cash

Glenn Danzig recalled writing “Thirteen” for Johnny Cash in a 2004 interview. “Suddenly, one day in 1993, I got a call asking if I wanted to write a song for Johnny Cash. Of course! The original Man in Black! It was an honor,” he said.

“It took me about 20 minutes to write ‘Thirteen,’ which is my take on Cash and his career. Then, I actually went down to his farm in Tennessee to teach him the song. He turned out to be a really nice man,” Danzig recalled.

He also said that Rick Rubin wasn’t his only connection to Cash. “The funny thing was that a couple of Cash’s nephews were Danzig fans, which I think was a big reason why I was chosen. I grew up with Cash’s music, so I was speechless when I got the call.”

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