The moment a song is born, the world is different. It’s now a part of our lives. We sing it in the shower. We dance to it at our wedding. We get pumped with it. We break up to it. We memorize it. We try to forget it. We rediscover it. This month, I’m joining Arron Wright’s Twitter music challenge: ##Popiversary2. Because why the hell not. Songs deserve their own anniversaries, too.
Year: 1957
Let’s get this part straight. I certainly don’t like Johnny Cash for the instrumentation. It seems like there’s one single bass line used on the majority of his songs. For me, the appeal has always been that deep voice like no other and the ability to spin masterful lyrics that feel so, Johnny Cash. There’s no other adjective to describe it. 1957 was a banner year for the legend. On With His Hot and Blue Guitar (extra points for the quirky album title), he released some of his biggest songs, including “Folsom Prison Blues”, “Cry! Cry! Cry!” and “I Walk The Line”.
I think the first verse says it all: “I keep a close watch on this heart of mine / I keep my eyes wide open all the time / I keep the ends out for the tie that binds / Because you're mine, I walk the line.” This is Johnny Cash to a T. There’s a resoluteness in what' he’s saying, but at the same time you know that his stance can change on a dime. There’s no balance. Which makes everything about the song – while simple as usual – feel so intense and true.
“I keep a close watch on this heart of mine. I keep my eyes wide open all the time. I keep the ends out for the tie that binds. Because you're mine, I walk the line.”