7 ms·

Where Johnny Cash came from

127 points by tintinnabula 3y ago

AlbertCory 3y ago
With love & respect to the Man in Black: I keep a close watch on this heart of mine I keep my eyes wide open all the time I hold my pants up with a piece of twine If you are mine, I'll pull the twine.
- quantum_state 3y ago
  Very much indeed!
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
User23 3y ago
I highly recommend his autobiography. It gives some detail on his time growing up picking cotton, among many other interesting anecdotes.
- lotsOstuf 3y ago
  Just seconding this as it was one of the most compelling biographical books I’ve ever read. I binged it during a holiday shopping trip to the mall 20-ish years ago. Couldn’t put it down, just followed along with the group as they went from store to store with my face in a book. We sure don’t live life like that anymore.
  - KeplerBoy 3y ago
    Nice story. Sometimes one has to miss the days of physical books instead of constant screens.
- rograndom 3y ago
  “I’m not the smartest guy in the world, but I’m certainly not the dumbest. I mean, I’ve read books like "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" and "Love in the Time of Cholera", and I think I’ve understood them. They’re about girls, right? Just kidding. But I have to say my all-time favorite book is Johnny Cash’s autobiography "Cash" by Johnny Cash.” ― Nick Hornby, High Fidelity
ronnier 3y ago
> The Man in Black grew up in Dyess, Arkansas, in a community of poor farmers working government land. Similar. I grew up in Arkansas for 6 years of my childhood working on a turkey farm until I was 11~. Hard work ,7 days a week for 6 years working with turkeys and cattle. Something is lost today by most kids being removed from hard work, I think. Defiantly brings a different perspective going from that to working in the largest tech companies
- ttymck 3y ago
  Can you elaborate on what is lost? What is the difference in perspective?
  - DaveSchmindel 3y ago
    I can, from the other side of life. I was raised in middle-class suburbia, in the North East U.S. My family wasn't wealthy, but wasn't hurting either. I did well in school, but didn't have to try very hard to maintain grades in Advanced Placement classes. Outside of school, I worked easy lawn-care gigs with my neighbor and we made decent cash with 20-30 hours of work per week. It afforded me a life of coasting, leisure, and throwing away my downtime. I am nearing 30 years old and just realizing that I'd consider my behavior to be bad habits I need to kick. I want to work harder, and I have to teach myself what that means.
    - mcculley 3y ago
      I would hope that there is some optimal balance. A lot of my childhood was spent doing manual labor for money. A lot of that was wasted opportunity to learn more and get experience that would have benefited me financially later on.
  - ronnier 3y ago
    What was lost was hard work ethic and the perspective of how good life is now, respect for others, and we've gained some arrogance from never having to suffer. I had an odd life, I lived in the projects as a child until I was sent to my grandfathers farm for 6~ years, and after that, back to the violent city I had originally lived in. I was at a huge disadvantage compared to my peers but from the hard word I was subjected to in those 6 years (work ethic it taught me), pure luck of getting into computer science (thanks to John Carmack via doom/quake), and meeting the right people, I was able to work much harder than those around me and rise up quickly through the worlds biggest tech companies, make a ton of money to the point where I was able to retire at 40 (though I didn't and still work). To answer your question, in my view, that's what was lost -- a connection to brutal hard work that keeps the world moving forward.
Solvency 3y ago
[flagged]
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- thewildginger 3y ago
  Take a deep breath. The US endowment for the arts wrote this article to preserve the history of a person who impacted the arts in the US. No one is worshipping him. He had known problems, took criticism for it and it is a known fact by those who enjoy his music. No one is here to dismiss the damage he caused to the condor population. I do question why you wanted to bring this up though. While it is interesting and important, I don't know if it's commentary relevant for this thread specifically. Wishing you well these holidays
  - dang 3y ago
    Please don't respond to a bad comment by breaking the site guidelines yourself. That only makes things worse. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
6stringmerc 3y ago
[flagged]
- tshirthoodie 3y ago
  >the ongoing legacy of “I will do this no matter what” and being exploited If you're willing to do it no matter what, you're begging to be exploited. That's the entire history of the labor movement in a sentence.
  - schneems 3y ago
    > you’re begging to be exploited A “yes, and” pivot: you’re going to be exploited, you should be begging for a union. I’ve been musing on what an open source (users/creators) union would look like. The best of us write software in this “no matter what” category. How could we collectively support them while they support us and we support each other?
    - PM_me_your_math 3y ago
      [dead]
  - zakary 3y ago
    If you’re only sellable skill is making music, and you have to put food on the table, that isn’t begging to be exploited; it’s grit
    - bequanna 3y ago
      It simply seems like supply and demand to me. There many, many people trying to be successful in arts and entertainment. Why would someone overpay for something that may be seen as a commodity because of the overwhelming supply?
  - jzb 3y ago
    Vulnerable. Not begging, vulnerable. This is prime blaming the victim. People who have an innate drive to make music or art are vulnerable to be exploited, but place the blame where it belongs: on those who would exploit them. Most humans enjoy music and art. We want it to exist. It makes life better. We shouldn't be looking down on those who want to supply it.
shove 3y ago
Prior to reading this, my only insight into Cash’s upbringing had been the recording from Folsom Prison in which the warden does a cringe-inducing introduction of Ray Cash, Johnny’s father.
- ninjin 3y ago
  As you mentioned Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, it is hands down the best live album I have ever listened to. Why? Because the recording captures Cash, the audience, and everyone else there in such a way that you can feel what a truly extraordinary set of circumstances that took place that day and Cash's personality is right there in the recording. Highly, highly recommended, even if you are not into his music in general it is a historical document and I wish I had come across even a single live recording that comes even close. If you want some sort of "definitive" edition, I hold the Legacy Edition [1] in very high regard as it to the best of my knowledge contains the two concerts in their entirety. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At_Folsom_Prison#Legacy_Edition_(2008) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At_Folsom_Prison#Legacy_Editio...
  - graphe 3y ago
    This is a good explaination of why I like certain live performances better. It feels more alive with the crowd and it's less sterile.
  - Bayart 3y ago
    In the same vein, I recommend BB King's concert at Sing Sing [1], although that's only been partially captured. [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v4GV5dxOkI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v4GV5dxOkI
Slava_Propanei 3y ago
[dead]
aakashg99 3y ago
Very interesting view points
mynameisnoone 3y ago
Merry holidays, HN: JC's story reminds me a bit of my late grandfather. GF was a hustler, social, progressive, and had a heavy Texarkana accent. He grew up in the Dustbowl era and didn't have money or enough to eat. Then WW2 came around and it was a hard fought and interesting time for him. He was his CO's bookie and his company's loanshark. Post-WW2 was a bit difficult but there was continuity and security of remaining a professional soldier as an NCO. Rarely spent money on themselves, but moderately generous with friends and family. Never financially-insecure and had triple retirements. I have their pristine Telefunken radio console they had in Germany which held several Johnny Cash albums (vinyl). They're not in VG shape, but they're playable. In closing, one thing I think JC and GF shared is they smiled a bit smugly, defiantly, and warmly, something the world can never fade or take away and something that emanates from within.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

127 points by tintinnabula 3y ago

With love & respect to the Man in Black: I keep a close watch on this heart of mine I keep my eyes wide open all the time I hold my pants up with a piece of twine If you are mine, I'll pull the twine.

quantum_state 3y ago
Very much indeed!
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

User23 3y ago

I highly recommend his autobiography. It gives some detail on his time growing up picking cotton, among many other interesting anecdotes.

lotsOstuf 3y ago
Just seconding this as it was one of the most compelling biographical books I’ve ever read. I binged it during a holiday shopping trip to the mall 20-ish years ago. Couldn’t put it down, just followed along with the group as they went from store to store with my face in a book. We sure don’t live life like that anymore.
- KeplerBoy 3y ago
  Nice story. Sometimes one has to miss the days of physical books instead of constant screens.
rograndom 3y ago
“I’m not the smartest guy in the world, but I’m certainly not the dumbest. I mean, I’ve read books like "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" and "Love in the Time of Cholera", and I think I’ve understood them. They’re about girls, right? Just kidding. But I have to say my all-time favorite book is Johnny Cash’s autobiography "Cash" by Johnny Cash.” ― Nick Hornby, High Fidelity

ronnier 3y ago

> The Man in Black grew up in Dyess, Arkansas, in a community of poor farmers working government land. Similar. I grew up in Arkansas for 6 years of my childhood working on a turkey farm until I was 11~. Hard work ,7 days a week for 6 years working with turkeys and cattle. Something is lost today by most kids being removed from hard work, I think. Defiantly brings a different perspective going from that to working in the largest tech companies

ttymck 3y ago
Can you elaborate on what is lost? What is the difference in perspective?
- DaveSchmindel 3y ago
  I can, from the other side of life. I was raised in middle-class suburbia, in the North East U.S. My family wasn't wealthy, but wasn't hurting either. I did well in school, but didn't have to try very hard to maintain grades in Advanced Placement classes. Outside of school, I worked easy lawn-care gigs with my neighbor and we made decent cash with 20-30 hours of work per week. It afforded me a life of coasting, leisure, and throwing away my downtime. I am nearing 30 years old and just realizing that I'd consider my behavior to be bad habits I need to kick. I want to work harder, and I have to teach myself what that means.
  - mcculley 3y ago
    I would hope that there is some optimal balance. A lot of my childhood was spent doing manual labor for money. A lot of that was wasted opportunity to learn more and get experience that would have benefited me financially later on.
- ronnier 3y ago
  What was lost was hard work ethic and the perspective of how good life is now, respect for others, and we've gained some arrogance from never having to suffer. I had an odd life, I lived in the projects as a child until I was sent to my grandfathers farm for 6~ years, and after that, back to the violent city I had originally lived in. I was at a huge disadvantage compared to my peers but from the hard word I was subjected to in those 6 years (work ethic it taught me), pure luck of getting into computer science (thanks to John Carmack via doom/quake), and meeting the right people, I was able to work much harder than those around me and rise up quickly through the worlds biggest tech companies, make a ton of money to the point where I was able to retire at 40 (though I didn't and still work). To answer your question, in my view, that's what was lost -- a connection to brutal hard work that keeps the world moving forward.

Solvency 3y ago

[flagged]

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
thewildginger 3y ago
Take a deep breath. The US endowment for the arts wrote this article to preserve the history of a person who impacted the arts in the US. No one is worshipping him. He had known problems, took criticism for it and it is a known fact by those who enjoy his music. No one is here to dismiss the damage he caused to the condor population. I do question why you wanted to bring this up though. While it is interesting and important, I don't know if it's commentary relevant for this thread specifically. Wishing you well these holidays
- dang 3y ago
  Please don't respond to a bad comment by breaking the site guidelines yourself. That only makes things worse. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

6stringmerc 3y ago

[flagged]

tshirthoodie 3y ago
>the ongoing legacy of “I will do this no matter what” and being exploited If you're willing to do it no matter what, you're begging to be exploited. That's the entire history of the labor movement in a sentence.
- schneems 3y ago
  > you’re begging to be exploited A “yes, and” pivot: you’re going to be exploited, you should be begging for a union. I’ve been musing on what an open source (users/creators) union would look like. The best of us write software in this “no matter what” category. How could we collectively support them while they support us and we support each other?
  - PM_me_your_math 3y ago
    [dead]
- zakary 3y ago
  If you’re only sellable skill is making music, and you have to put food on the table, that isn’t begging to be exploited; it’s grit
  - bequanna 3y ago
    It simply seems like supply and demand to me. There many, many people trying to be successful in arts and entertainment. Why would someone overpay for something that may be seen as a commodity because of the overwhelming supply?
- jzb 3y ago
  Vulnerable. Not begging, vulnerable. This is prime blaming the victim. People who have an innate drive to make music or art are vulnerable to be exploited, but place the blame where it belongs: on those who would exploit them. Most humans enjoy music and art. We want it to exist. It makes life better. We shouldn't be looking down on those who want to supply it.

shove 3y ago

Prior to reading this, my only insight into Cash’s upbringing had been the recording from Folsom Prison in which the warden does a cringe-inducing introduction of Ray Cash, Johnny’s father.

ninjin 3y ago
As you mentioned Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, it is hands down the best live album I have ever listened to. Why? Because the recording captures Cash, the audience, and everyone else there in such a way that you can feel what a truly extraordinary set of circumstances that took place that day and Cash's personality is right there in the recording. Highly, highly recommended, even if you are not into his music in general it is a historical document and I wish I had come across even a single live recording that comes even close. If you want some sort of "definitive" edition, I hold the Legacy Edition [1] in very high regard as it to the best of my knowledge contains the two concerts in their entirety. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At_Folsom_Prison#Legacy_Edition_(2008) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At_Folsom_Prison#Legacy_Editio...
- graphe 3y ago
  This is a good explaination of why I like certain live performances better. It feels more alive with the crowd and it's less sterile.
- Bayart 3y ago
  In the same vein, I recommend BB King's concert at Sing Sing [1], although that's only been partially captured. [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v4GV5dxOkI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v4GV5dxOkI

Slava_Propanei 3y ago

[dead]

aakashg99 3y ago

Very interesting view points

mynameisnoone 3y ago

Merry holidays, HN: JC's story reminds me a bit of my late grandfather. GF was a hustler, social, progressive, and had a heavy Texarkana accent. He grew up in the Dustbowl era and didn't have money or enough to eat. Then WW2 came around and it was a hard fought and interesting time for him. He was his CO's bookie and his company's loanshark. Post-WW2 was a bit difficult but there was continuity and security of remaining a professional soldier as an NCO. Rarely spent money on themselves, but moderately generous with friends and family. Never financially-insecure and had triple retirements. I have their pristine Telefunken radio console they had in Germany which held several Johnny Cash albums (vinyl). They're not in VG shape, but they're playable. In closing, one thing I think JC and GF shared is they smiled a bit smugly, defiantly, and warmly, something the world can never fade or take away and something that emanates from within.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]