The Man in Black was never one for crumbling in front of authority figures. Back in 1970, Johnny Cash famously snubbed President Richard Nixon at a White House performance by saying he couldn’t remember two songs that Nixon specifically requested ahead of time.
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Ahead of Cash’s performance, Nixon asked him to perform the songs “Okie From Muskogee” and “Welfare Cadillac”, which Cash said he didn’t know. And the snub didn’t end there. Cash decided to perform an anti-Vietnam War song titled “What Is Truth?” instead. He also performed the songs “Ballad Of Ira Hayes” and “The Man In Black”.
The Legendary Concert That Made Johnny Cash An Even More Rebellious Figure In Outlaw Country
The July 1972 concert at the Blue Room was supposed to go off without a hitch. Johnny Cash came to the White House to discuss prison reform (after he quite famously performed at Folsom State Prison and San Quentin State Prison) with then-president Richard Nixon. Upon their meeting, Nixon asked Cash to place two specific songs, neither of which were Cash originals. Rather, Nixon’s choices were Merle Haggard and Guy Drake tunes, both of which were ironically satirical songs about Republicans.
“I don’t know those songs,” Cash famously said without batting an eye. “But I got a few of my own I can play for you.”
From there, Cash dove into a rendition of “What Is Truth?” This particular song was penned as an anthem for the youth of the time, with a notable anti-war verse. Nixon sat there and listened, with a frozen look on his face.
Cash went on to perform his hit song “The Man In Black”, another somewhat politically-charged song about the oppressed, marginalized, poor, and ill, as well as American soldiers. “Each week we lose a hundred fine young men” is a powerful lyric on its own, made more powerful by singing it straight at Richard Nixon.
He then finished off his White House set with “The Ballad Of Ira Hayes”, a song quite famously about Native Americans and survivor’s guilt.
Cash could have made things very easy by simply performing the cover songs Nixon wanted. He could have turned Nixon down and opted for easy hits like “I Walk The Line”. But he didn’t; instead, Cash chose to confront Nixon with an onslaught of protest songs.
Cash would later speak about the experience positively, and even surprisingly noted that “he [Nixon] seemed to be honestly enjoying himself.”
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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