Johnny Cash Archives - Page 9 of 10

“Bird on a Wire” and the Return of the Bald Eagle

Last year, along with John Fullbright’s cover of Steve Earle’s “Me and the Eagle,” we posted a live feed of a bald eagle and its eaglets in a nest in Iowa. Well, those babies have flown off, but the feed now has a bald eagle with some new eggs, so we check in on the new babies while we also listen to a Johnny Cash song on a day that would have been the country legend’s eightieth birthday. Recently there was posted live feed of a mother Bald Eagle from Decorah, Iowa. [2024 Update: Unfortunately, the live stream is no longer available.]

The nest seems fairly secure for the high winds, but seeing the family so high up reminds me of one of Leonard Cohen’s most covered songs, “Bird on a Wire.” Cohen originally recorded the song in 1968 for the album Songs from a Room (1969). The song has been covered by The Neville Brothers, Willie Nelson, KD Lang, and others. My favorite cover is the one made by Johnny Cash for the 1994 album that marked a comeback for him, American Recordings. The weariness of his voice goes perfectly with the song.

A version of Cash singing the song with an orchestra appeared on Unearthed (2003), and Cohen has also performed his song with an orchestra. But I like the sparse instrumentation versions.

The song is so beautiful that Kris Kristofferson, who has written many beautiful songs, has stated that he’d like the first three lines of “Bird on a Wire” on his tombstone.

Like a bird on a wire,
Like a drunk in a midnight choir,
I have tried in my way to be free.

The song has been described as a “bohemian My Way,” and one can sense a more realistic and darker life appraisal in Cohen’s song than the Frank Sinatra classic. While “My Way” is underscored with pride, “Bird on a Wire” is tempered with regret (“I have torn everyone who reached out to me”). There are some reports that the song inspired the title of the Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn movie, Bird on a Wire (1990), but it is hard to see the meaning of the song in the action-comedy film, so I hope that story is not true.

For today, here is to the Iowa bald eagles who unlike us, live free without regret. And here is to Johnny Cash on his birthday, because his music helped us comprehend freedom as well as sorrow, atonement, and grace.

What is your favorite version of “Bird on a Wire”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

Devil’s Right Hand Arrest in New York City

Taxi Driver Music: “The Pilgrim, Chapter 33”

Is Kris Kristofferson’s Greatest Song “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”?

Internet Venom, Toby Keith’s Death, . . . and Grace from Willie Nelson

Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson Put Johnny Cash’s Poetry to Music

Willie and Merle Are “Missing Ol’ Johnny Cash”

(Some Related Chimesfreedom Posts)

Devil’s Right Hand Arrest in New York City

Recently, a woman from Tennessee was arrested for carrying a licensed gun in New York City. The case has sparked some uproar because of the unusual facts. The woman, Meredith Graves, apparently was carrying a gun licensed in her home state of Tennessee while visiting the 9/11 Memorial in New York. After seeing a “No Guns” sign, Ms. Graves asked police where she could check her gun. Subsequently, she was arrested under a New York law prohibiting people from carrying a loaded gun, even if the gun is licensed in another state.

The case is a perfect illustration of the old adage, “Ignorance of the Law is No Excuse.” Generally, that is true in the law, as one may understand that someone should not be able to commit robbery and then say they did not know it was against the law. Only very rarely can ignorance of the law rise to a Due Process problem when someone is punished for violating a law they did not know existed. Under this case, a court would probably hold that when someone travels to another state with a gun, it is not unfair to require them to check the local laws on whether they can pack heat.

Here, Ms. Graves had every intent to comply with the law and was arrested for violating a New York law she did not know existed. A prosecutor sought a felony conviction, which could result in a sentence of up to 3 1/2 years. This case seems like a perfect one for a prosecutor to use discretion to avoid a conviction of someone who did not wish to cause any harm and who tried to comply with the law — even if she could have done things a little better. My guess is that the prosecutor is using the case to help publicize the New York law to tell tourists to leave their guns at home.

There are a number of slang terms for guns, and one of the coolest is “the Devil’s right hand,” used in the song of the same name written by Steve Earle from his album, Copperhead Road (1988). The song begins with the singer’s first encounter with what his mama called “the Devil’s right hand,” illustrating a fascination that ends up with the singer using a gun to kill another man during a fight in the card game. Like Ms. Graves, the singer pleads not guilty and blames it all on “the Devil’s right hand.” Here is a young Steve Earle performing the song.

It is somewhat surprising that the song has not been covered more often by rock groups, considering the song’s catchy music and edgy lyrics. Perhaps the best cover is by The Highwaymen. That version makes good use of all of the members of the group: Johnny Cash, Waylong Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson.

Two of the members of that group — Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash — recorded their own solo versions too. Here is the group version. So listen to the song one more time as a reminder to check those gun laws when you travel.

UPDATE: In March 2012, Merredith Graves reached a deal with prosecutors so she did not face any jail time for carrying bringing her gun to town.

The First Farm Aid

Highwaymen Reunite at Grammys (Sort Of)

Tribute to Guy Clark CD is “Stuff That Works”

“Bird on a Wire” and the Return of the Bald Eagle

Taxi Driver Music: “The Pilgrim, Chapter 33”

Is Kris Kristofferson’s Greatest Song “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”?

(Some Related Chimesfreedom Posts)

Buy from Amazon

Oregon’s Death Penalty: 25 Minutes to Go

Last week, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber granted a reprieve to a condemned man and announced that he would do the same for any scheduled execution during the remainder of his term in office. Gov. Kitzhaber asked state officials to consider other options besides the death penalty and explained, “I simply cannot participate once again in something that I believe to be morally wrong,” Gov. Kitzhaber further explained that as a licensed physician he had taken an oath to “do no harm.” In making his emotional announcement, Gov. Kitzhaber told how he was haunted by the fact he had allowed Oregon’s only two modern executions.

Whether one agrees with Gov. Kitzhaber or not, one must respect someone who is willing to admit he erred in the past and who takes a moral stand. Gov. Kitzhaber recognized that the trend around the world in recent years has been toward taking a moral stand against state killings when other options, like life in prison, exist. Recognizing there are a number of problems with the American death penalty, Gov. Kitzhaber is putting a moratorium on Oregon executions to allow the state to reconsider whether or not it wishes to continue executing people.

The immediate reprieve stopped the execution of 49-year-old Gary Haugen, who had waived his appeals and wished to be executed. Haugen’s attorney noted that the condemned man, desiring his own execution, would not be happy with the reprieve.

Haugen was within two weeks of his scheduled execution, but Johnny Cash performed a song going further in imagining a condemned man counting down the final 25 minutes before his execution. The song, “25 Minutes to Go,” was written by Shel Silverstein, who also wrote Cash’s hit song, “A Boy Named Sue.” One may hear Silverstein’s sense of humor even in a song like “25 Minutes to Go.” The song’s author may be best known for his children’s books, including The Giving Tree.

In the following video, someone has put together some cool illustrations to go with Johnny Cash’s performance of “25 Minutes to Go” from his famous performance at Folsom Prison on Jan. 13, 1968. (Do you know who did the animation?) Check it out.

You also may watch Cash in another live performance in a video on YouTube. Johnny Cash was another gutsy man like Gov. John Kitzhaber. I miss him.

Bonus Johnny Cash-related Death Penalty News: Johnny’s daughter Roseanne Cash is reuniting with her ex-husband Rodney Crowell for an anti-death penalty concert in Nashville on December 19. John Hiatt will also perform.

What do you think of Johnny Cash’s “25 Minutes to Go”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

The End of Maryland’s Death Penalty and “Green, Green Grass of Home”

Connecticut’s Hangman and Johnny Cash’s Last Song

“Nebraska” and the Death Penalty

Dylan’s “Julius & Ethel”

The Journey of “Hang Me, Oh Hang Me” From the Scaffold to the Screen

The Killing of “Two Good Men”

(Some Related Chimesfreedom Posts)

Thanksgiving with Marty Stuart: The Pilgrim

Stuart, Marty – The Pilgrim (Act I) (featuring Emmylou Harris) “The Pilgrim (Act I)” — featuring Emmylou Harris

With Thanksgiving approaching in the U.S., it seems appropriate to discuss one of my all-time favorite CDs, Marty Stuart’s The Pilgrim (1999). In another post, we discuss another Marty Stuart CD that covers the other side of the original Thanksgiving table.

Marty Stuart The Pilgrim — Click album photo to see outstanding Amazon reviews.

Although we often associate the word “pilgrim” with the English colonists who sailed on the Mayflower ship, settled in Plymouth, and dined on the first Thanksgiving meal, the word in its broader meaning applies to any traveler or more specifically, “one who embarks on a quest for something . . .sacred.”

It is in this sense that Marty Stuart’s concept album uses the word “pilgrim.” On the album, we first hear the word in Emmylou Harris’s voice on one of the first songs on the CD (above): “I am a lonesome Pilgrim, far from home/ . . . I might be tired and weary, but I’m strong / ‘Cause pilgrims walk, but not alone.”

The True Story Inspiration

The Pilgrim is based on a true story about people Stuart knew in his hometown of Philadelphia, Mississippi. Over the years, Stuart continued to think about the tale, and after attending Bill Monroe’s funeral, he began putting the story into an album.

The Pilgrim begins with the words of a man — the Pilgrim — who is in love with a friend, Rita. But unknown to the Pilgrim, Rita was married to Norman, who was jealous of his former beauty queen wife.

In the song “Harlan County,” bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley, reveals Norman killed himself because he believed he had been betrayed. In “Reasons,” Marty Stuart recounts Norman’s suicide note, where Norman explained, “I keep looking for reasons.”

Norman’s suicide sends the Pilgrim on the road as he struggles with how his love for Rita led to Norman’s death. He drowns his troubles in alcohol (“Red, Red Wine and Cheating Songs“) and travels as a hobo, heading west for the Pacific Ocean and “trading sorrows for tomorrows,” while “Goin’ Nowhere Fast.”

During the Pilgrim’s travels, an observant crow sees the Pilgrim passing by in “Observations of a Crow”:

Take a look at that pilgrim, passing by;
He’s looking for love, I can see it in his eyes;
He’s running ’round in circles, you can take it from me;
His shadow begs for mercy of every lost and found,
In city after city, town after town,
Tortured by the memory of a love he thought was supposed to be.

Eventually, across the miles, in “The Greatest Love of All Time” and “Draggin’ Round These Chains of Love,” the Pilgrim thinks back on Rita. He considers his love for her despite everything that has happened.

The Pilgrim visits a small graveyard where his mother is buried. At his mother’s grave, in “Redemption,” he says, “I keep hearing her and Jesus say ‘Surrender son and rest.'” The Pilgrim finally is able to forgive himself and accept his love for Rita. He returns home to marry her and raise a family.

The Music: “A Fabulous Journey”

Of course, an album would not be great with just a good story. The music on the album is wonderful too, covering a number of styles of country music, including rockabilly, a drinking song, and some excellent short bluegrass instrumentals. While the songs together tell a story, they each may stand on their own outside the story too.

Marty Stuart’s voice tells most of the tale, but a few friends show up to help out, including Ralph Stanley, Earl Scruggs, Pam Tillis, and George Jones. The music fits the Pilgrim’s tale perfectly throughout.

Unfortunately, the album did not do well in sales when it was first released, even though critics gave it good reviews. Because of the poor sales, MCA Nashville dropped Stuart from his record deal at the time.

In retrospect, Stuart has accepted the loss well, realizing he created something worth more than a sales number. Stuart recognizes, “But when all of those plastic things that came out around that time are gone, The Pilgrim will still be around.”

The Pilgrim is one of the great overlooked country CDs of recent decades. Johnny Cash called it “a fabulous journey.” You might discount Johnny’s statement because he was friends with Stuart. Also, he helped with the album, as his deep booming voice provides the final words on the album, quoting Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “Sir Galahad.”

But if you do not trust Johnny’s assessment, you can trust me.

I am a lonesome Pilgrim, far from home,
And what a journey I have known.
I might be tired and weary, but I’m strong;
‘Cause pilgrims walk, but not alone.

May your journeys this Thanksgiving and throughout the holiday season all be safe and happy ones.

What do you think of The Pilgrim? Leave your two cents in the comments.

The First Farm Aid

Taxi Driver Music: “The Pilgrim, Chapter 33”

Marty Stuart’s Celebration of “The Pilgrim” Through A Wall-to-Wall Odyssey

Emmylou Harris Covers Steve Earle’s “The Pilgrim”

Crazy Horse: The Last Warrior Standing, Defending the Old Way of Life

Cowboy Jack Clement: “I Guess Things Happen That Way”

(Some Related Chimesfreedom Posts)

Taxi Driver Music: “The Pilgrim, Chapter 33”

Martin Scorsese made deliberate choices in the music for “Taxi Driver,” including Kris Kristofferson’s “The Pilgrim, Chapter 33.”

In a recent post, we discussed the link between Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks and the movie Taxi Driver (1976). In this post, we consider a musical connection between the movie and another song: Kris Kristofferson’s “The Pilgrim, Chapter 33.”

In Taxi Driver, perhaps the one moment a viewer might think that there is a slight bit of hope for Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro) is when he first courts Betsy (Cybill Shepherd). After he charms her into going to a diner for a bite to eat, she quotes a song: “He’s a prophet, he’s a pusher… partly truth and partly fiction… a walking contradiction.” Bickle focuses on the “pusher part,” saying he has never been a pusher, but she explains she brought it up for the “walking contradiction” part. Bickle is amused, and a later scene shows him at a record store, apparently buying the album, which he later gives to her on their next date. And then he ruins the date by taking her to see a pornographic film.

Although we do not hear the song or the name of the song in those scenes, the quote is from Kris Kristofferson’s song “The Pilgrim, Chapter 33,” which was off of his second album, The Silver Tongued Devil and I (1971). The album’s biggest hit was “Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again),” and the album also included Kristofferson’s version of “Jody and the Kid.”

“The Pilgrim, Chapter 33,” which was not a hit for Kristofferson, has held up well through the years. A number of artists have covered the song, including Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, and Jerry Lee Lewis (with Kristofferson).

When a tribute CD was put together for Kristofferson, they took the song for the title of the CD, The Pilgrim: A Celebration Of Kris Kristofferson. On that album, in the introduction to the title track, Kristofferson explains that he wrote that song “for a good friend of mine, Donny Fritts [Kristofferson’s long-time keyboard player], and Dennis Hopper and Johnny Cash. . .” and then he goes on to list a number of people ranging from Ramblin’ Jack Elliott to Mickey Newbury to “maybe me and I guess my father.” As Kristofferson has aged and seeped into musical legend as one of our classic country elders, the song seems to be more and more about him.

It is a beautiful song, and while like Astral Weeks it is not completely in sync with the story of Travis Bickle, you can see where Martin Scorsese got a little inspiration from the song. Like “Madame George,” the song “The Pilgrim, Chapter 33” also contains some of the themes of isolation and loneliness that Martin Scorsese tried to capture in Taxi Driver.

He has tasted good and evil in your bedrooms and your bars,
And he’s traded in tomorrow for today;
Runnin’ from his devils, Lord, and reachin’ for the stars,
And losin’ all he’s loved along the way;
But if this world keeps right on turnin’ for the better or the worse,
And all he ever gets is older and around,
From the rockin’ of the cradle to the rollin’ of the hearse,
The goin’ up was worth the comin’ down.

Like many of Kristofferson’s songs, it works as pure poetry. His lyrics in “The Pilgrim, Chapter 33,” describe a man of contradictions, leaving much room for interpretation.

I have never read an explanation for the “Chapter 33” in the title, but I suspect it is a reference to a man being near the end of his life, just as Chapter 33 will fall near the end of a book. Perhaps that is why the song seems to describe so many of the brilliant artists mentioned by Kristofferson in the introduction mentioned above.

May we all be so lucky that the going up is worth the coming down.