Johnny Cash
January 31, 2006 12:28 p.m.

So I've been listening to a lot of Johnny Cash lately.

I wish I could tell you I've been listening to him my whole life, but that's not the case. Sadly I started being aware of his legend just before he died.

It was a couple of years ago, just before I graduated, and I was at this party some old aquantances were having. It was one of those crazy, mythical parties that you hear about but never attend.

It was a saturday night and everyone was there. People were drinking wine and smoking, the occasional beer. People discussing religon, and politics and latin. Intellectuals who occasionally feel the need to jump and thrash around to metal music. It was fantastic.

There were so many people and everyone was too drunk to drive home so you had to sleep where ever you found. I found a desprately old beat up and dirty recliner. ...Now I don't know if I'm quite getting out the point of how dirty this place was. It is the 3 room (and that's stretching it) place of too college seniors who were about to graduate. One an artist the other a religion student. So if you can imagine all the books and art paraphallia littering the place. Now throw in a great number of people coming in and out and eventually just breaking the place down.

Now...I awoke sunday mornin after falling asleep in this dusty old recliner where I felt every spring. My clothes folded together against my skin. Quite honestly I felt like a folded up lawn chair.

And as I be came aware of the sun and my surroundings, and my hang over.

a friend of mine stumbled over to the computer and was searching though the music files. A few minutes later Johnny Cash's Sunday Morning Come Down was boldly making its way though the space, and I tell you it was the perfect song for that place and time. And that was truly the first time I had listened to Johnny Cash.

Well I woke up sunday morning with no way to hold my head that didn't hurt.

And the Beer I had for Breakfest wasn't bad, so I had one more for dessert.

Then I fumbled in the closet though my clothes and found my cleanest dirty shirt.

Then I washed my face and combed my hair and stumbled down the stairs to meet the day.

I smoked my mind the night before with cigarettes and songs I had been pickin'.

I lit my first and watched a small kid play with a can that he was kickin'.

Then I walked across the street and caught the Sunday smell of someone's fried chicken.

it took me back to somewhere that I thought I'd lost along the way.

On a Sunday Morning sidewalk, I'm wishing Lord that I was stoned.

Cause there's somethin' in a sunday that makes a body feel alone.

And there's nothin' short of dyin' that's half as lonesome as the sound.

Of a sleepin' city sidewalk, and Sunday Morning Comin' down.

I've been hooked ever since.

...anyway, I'm damn near getting close to the point of this entry.

shortly after I heard that Johnny Cash and Fiona Apple had a duet. Bridge Over Troubled Waters. Excited I downloaded it right away.

And you know what?

I hated it! I thought he sounded great, and she sounded beautiful as ever, but whoever told them they should combine their voices should be punished severly.

I never deleted the file. Over time it would play occasionally and it started to grow on me. I hated it less. eventually I liked it.

And now I love it.

And I've been trying to analyze just what it is about it that I love.

Yes his voice so deep and gravely and worn down by life, and her's is like the glorious sun coming in. ....and for awhile that's what I thought it was.

But I realized something the other day.

when was the last time you hard Bridge over troubled waters where the lower voice is singing the melody? Never right?

When have you ever heard a base sing the melody of that song? It is always light and airy and the harmony supports and compliments.

it's so odd, so different. So not what we expect from that song.

And that's what makes it Fucking brillant!

Honestly, whoever told them to combine their voices is a fucking genus!