June 20, 2006

Johnny Cash's Last Song, "Like The 309"

Rick Rubin recalls Johnny Cash's last days in the new Rolling Stone. Cash called the producer the day after June died.

RICK RUBIN: He told me, 'I have to get to work. If you don't have something for me to do every day, I'm going to die.' He really believed music was the only thing he had left to live for.

Nearly blind and wheelchair-bound, Cash recorded thirty songs until his death four months later. His frail whisper of a baritone makes this different than the other Americans.

RICK RUBIN: It's a hard record to listen to and it's really sad, and it's beautiful. I absolutely love it. It's the music he wanted people to hear.

American V: A Hundred Highways contains the last song Johnny wrote, "Like The 309." Stream it at MySpace.

Everybody take a look
See, I'm doing fine
Then load my box on the 309.

Cash released his first single fifty-one years ago this week. The final chapter in the American series hits stores on the 4th of July.

Posted at 3:29 PM

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14 Comments

Wow.

That is just ... wow.

Both strong and weak. Heartbreaking and heartwarming. Cheers for the heads up.

Posted by: richard at 06/20/06 4:25 PM | Reply
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LONG
LIVE
CASH

rest in peace.

Posted by: maya lucia at 06/20/06 5:38 PM | Reply
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its just been leaked on oink

Posted by: bbleh at 06/20/06 5:58 PM | Reply
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I've got the mp3 for "God's Gonna Cut Down" over here - http://culturebully.blogspot.com/2006/06/johnny-cash-american-v-hundred.html

Posted by: Chris at 06/20/06 8:16 PM | Reply
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I miss Johnny Cash.

Posted by: This Is Hardcore at 06/21/06 2:31 AM | Reply
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And I thought American IV was sad. Jesus.

Great stuff.

Posted by: KingHarvest at 06/21/06 3:41 AM | Reply
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This is amazing. I can hardly wait for American V...it'll be great to hear the last work that he did as he knew his life was nearly finished...I already love this.

Posted by: a is for applebits at 06/21/06 6:02 AM | Reply
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Wow.

Johnny gets me all choked up.

Also check out Johnny June duetting "Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone?" on "Wildwood Flower," her final album.

Posted by: Constant Dater at 06/21/06 9:52 AM | Reply
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let the posthumous grammys flow

Posted by: fads at 06/21/06 4:30 PM | Reply
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Long Live Johnny...

Great stuff on the new album, honestly, in my
opinion among the best he's done...way way way
up on the top in my book.

Can't wait for American VI (the real last installement...Rick said there's enough material for another one...)

This stuff is gold...

We Miss You JR,