Why the "Man in Black" ???
I like the book because when I was about 9 dad would play in a Rock-a-Billy Band and I always watched him listen to Johnny Cash, when Johnny did "Get Ryhthm" and "I Walk the Line". Dad worked hard on getting that train chucka-chucka sound on the guitar that Johnny Cash's Band got, and I was really interested in the song "Get-Rhythm", as he sang:
"A little shoe-shine boy never get's low down;
But, he's got the dirtiest job in town,
Bending low at the people's feet,
On a windy corner of a dirty street"!
"How will I ask: Wanna shine my shoes?
How'll I keep from gettin' the blues?"
"He grinned as he raised his little head,
popped his shoe-shine rag and finished said:
'Get ryhthm, when you get the blues, c'mon get-a rhythm when you get the blues.
It just costs a dime, just a nickle a shoe, does a million dollars worth of good for you! Get-a -rhythm, when youuuuuuu geeeeeet the bluuuuuuues~!~!~!~!
So, when I carried on in life and dad died a few years later, and his son (me) shined shoes for a dime per pair, and playing my guitar, and praticing daily, hourly, I always sang that song for me and for friends, as I am a sort of Blue person, it's me, my feelings, but, I loved Johnny's songs and stories when he sang. I followed Johnny's life as many loved the Beatles, I watched John go from loving what he did for others, but, as many do, he got into the liquor and drugs and my man started his fall, but, sang "Sunday Morning Comin' down"..and a friend sang it with me and we sang our bluesy story-songs which are my best, and when I read Johnny's books, he did skip from time to time and it was NOT hard to follow! NO~!~!~!, Not if you knew of the hurts of the "Man-in-Black", as though he filled his singing career, he sang very stirring inspirational songs that let you know what he was lookin' for as his handsome face with the pompadour hairdo (which we all wore in those years) Mine was back on bothsides, long sideburns, and a wide grin when I was playing my Guitar and played my songs for people as I loved to see and watch them dance, I knew how John must have felt, why, I knew! I know how these men feel, as it comes out in the words of the songs they sing. Johnny let you into his life when playing, but, he knew his life was in a "Ring of Fire"..he was going down, down, down...in the Ring of Fire"..and he knew it.
I saw Johnny age, from the handsome young man who held his guitar and played it as he pointed the headstock at the audiences and stretched the strap on his neck...he had anxiety inside and that posture showed it, and that is why the Book, the Autobiography, written by Patrick Carr, you must understand, it was Carr who decided to arrange the story so that the reflections of Johnny's life kept coming back like a bum... they alway bring their friends.
This is the depression Johnny felt inside as it reared it ugly head, and when it returned, it brought many other sadnesses along with it.
Johnny Cash knew one thing that was true six thousand (6,000) years ago and it is true today, and Jesus Christ whispered it into Johnny's ears..."Blessed is the man aware of his spiritual needs, for he will becalled 'son of God' ". I heard it too, and although my life was NOT half as hard as John's, I heard it too, I wanted something much deeper, and I wrote the poetry of the feelings, but John??? He wrote the words, the chords, arrangements, and as Jesus said, "REPENT and Turn around...He did..thank God, he did! Tatonka-RickRead full review
