Johnny Cash Script and Song Draft

Johnny Cash, otherwise known as “The Man in Black” was one of the most influential artists in his time, which is why we all know him to this day. When you would hear his voice, you knew exactly who he was. The song “I Walk The Line” was written and recorded in 1956. This song became extremely well known, selling over two million copies. The hit song made its way to #1 on the Billboard charts and later became ranked 17th on US pop charts.His motivation while writing this song was considered a “pledge of devotion”since he was newly married. As Cash’s recording became known to the world, other artists became intrigued and decided to do a cover of the song. Some of those artists included Everly Brothers, Dean Martin, Burl Ives, Dolly Parton, and a Hoagy Carmichael version. It was clear that this recording by Johnny Cash influenced a lot of people, especially the artists that I named above, who all decided to do their own covers of the hit song because they were interested and able to relate to it!

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-cash-mn0000816890/biography

“I Walk The Line” by Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash was one of the most influential artists in his time. When you heard his voice, you knew who he was. His voice was known as a distinct sound that was combined with the strokes of his guitar. The recording I chose is “I Walk The Line” written by Johnny Cash. The main reason why I chose this artist and recording is because of the deeper meaning behind the lyrics. I was intrigued to learn more about why Johnny Cash chose the lyrics he did and why he was so adamant about making sure they followed in relevance to his vision. The song was written and recorded in 1956. This song became extremely well known, selling over two million copies. The hit song made its way to #1 on the Billboard charts and later became ranked 17th on US pop charts. During the making of the recording, Cash inspired a unique and different chord progression by a backwards playback of guitar runs on his tape recorder. His motivation while writing this song was considered a “pledge of devotion”since he was newly married. Now, this recording was not done all by Johnny Cash himself. There was the help of Marshall Grant and Luther Perkins that was also included in this process. They were two mechanics that his brother introduced to him following his discharge from the Air Force. Cash and his wife, Vivian Liberto were living in Memphis, Tennessee, at the time. Cash became the front man for the group and in 1955 they began recording for the Sun label. It was clear that Johnny had temptations outside his door and a new wife at home so he made it very clear that he wanted the lyrics to say “I’m going to be true to those who believe in me and depend on me to myself and God. Something like I’m still being true, or I’m ‘Walking The Line.’ The lyrics came as fast as I could write,” says Johnny. “In 50 minutes, I had it finished.” This song was originally recorded at Sun Studio on April 2, 1956 and released on May 1st. Johnny Cash later earned the nickname known as “The Man in Black.” Quoted from Wikipedia, “The song is included in “The 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll”, a permanent exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked the song at No. 30 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. and also ranked it #1 on its list of the 100 greatest country songs of all time in June 2014.” As Johnny Cash’s recording became known to the world, a few years later, other artists became intrigued and decided to do a cover of Cash’s song. Some of those artists included Everly Brothers, Dean Martin, Burl Ives, Dolly Parton, and  a Hoagy Carmichael version. It is clear that this recording by Johnny Cash influenced a lot of people, especially the artists that I named above, who all decided to do their own covers of the hit song. This recording was known to the world because of not only the amount of copies it sold and the ranking the record held on the music charts but also the cultural importance and the meaning behind the lyrics!

My Intro Script

I made an Audio Essay describing my story behind music that relates to the paragraph above.

My relationship to music has been a constant connection ever since I was a little girl. Growing up- even before I was born my mom played in a band. It was only something she did for fun and was only well known in her town. Music was more of just a hobby that she enjoyed in her free time. There was always music playing in my house, sometimes there would be no music at all and I would just hear my mom singing on her own. I would sit at the top of the stairs and just listen to her for hours. As I got older the genre of music that I listened to changed almost daily. I went from Pop to Rap, sometimes Country. I would not say that there is a specific artist that I listen to in particular, I listen to all artists in general that I find an interest in. I love listening to music even to this day. Sometimes the right song at the right time allows me to find the answers that I have been searching for, to questions I have. Other times, I listen to music to feel calm or to have fun. Music has always been a constant thing in my life and I believe that it always will. It is definitely a contributing factor to who I am today!

Grande Review

In 7 Rings by Ariana Grande, This is an upbeat song, although with the way that Ariana Grande sings her lyrics seems to feel as if she has a motive to prove that she does not need anyone especially a man to make her happy. She says that the song is meant to be an “upbeat anthem.” She then explains how the energy of the song relates to a previous song recorded, “Thank You, Next. 

It is a much different content she describes in this song then previous albums. It seems, in my opinion, that she may be trying to change her reputation through this song and the things that she is saying. She says “Whoever said money can’t solve your problems, must’ve not have enough money to solve ’em.” In this statement she does not seem to have much empathy for those in the world who do not make as much money as she does. It was mentioned that this song stirred from a new album, where Grande changed her outlook and some of her opinions previously to fit this new reputation she is trying to accomplish. 

The tune of this song was sampled by The Sound of Music’s “My Favorite Things,” which seemed to fit in well with the lyrics of 7 Rings. She mentioned, “It was a… challenging fall day in New York,” she started. “Me and my friends went to Tiffany’s together, just because we needed some retail therapy. You know how when you’re waiting at Tiffany’s they give you lots of champagne? They got us very tipsy, so we bought seven engagement rings, and when I got back to the studio I gave everybody a friendship ring. That’s why we have these, and that’s where the song idea came from.” In Grande’s description of the meaning and where the song came from, it is clear that there was a backstory to her writing this piece. 

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.