The miracle that inspired Johnny Cash to write a classic track in minutes
The New Testament’s good word has shown many a pop star the ‘light’. From Elvis Presley’s slew of syrupy gospel singles, even during his rock ‘n roll heydey, to Kanye West’s Jesus is King ‘Sunday service’ hip-hop sermon, the teachings of the Nazareth carpenter have held a prominent place in popular music beyond turgid Christian rock. Bob Dylan’s 1980 Saved record was devoted to his born-again embrace and a pre-stadium monster U2 poured the conflict between their rock ‘n’ roll aspirations and commitment to their Catholic faith on their sophomore LP October, a surprisingly frank record at odds with the new wave climate around them.
Country legend and ‘Man in Black’ Johnny Cash was no stranger to Christian music. Having released a trilogy of country gospel records, The Holy Land, The Gospel Road, and Return to the Promised Land, Cash was awarded the distinction of being inducted into both the country and gospel Halls of Fame. Covering Depeche Mode’s ‘Personal Jesus’ for his acclaimed American IV: The Man Comes Around, Cash managed to turn the original’s exploration of relationship adoration and inject some rustic, southern preach in his authentic rendition.
1969’s The Holy Land, and the first of his Christian trilogy, is a curious artefact and entry in his discography. Aside from the album’s country gospel you’d expect, half the album documents Cash and his wife June’s ’68 trip to Israel, his narration as description of the holy sites visited recorded by a portable tape recorder. It’s genuinely interesting hearing Cash recite biblical texts or stories as he’s audibly being heard entering tombs or ruins, ‘Town of Cana’ genuinely recorded in Kafr Kanna, the supposed site of one of Jesus Christ’s most famous miracles.
For a quick biblical recap, it’s John 2:1-11 which details the great miracle. According to John, Jesus was passing through Canan (as it was known then) and stopped by a wedding feast. Dismayed that the bride and groom’s respective families were too poor for wine, JC magicked up some wine from 20-30 gallon water jars, telling the couple, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
This biblical tale, plus his experiences in the alleged original Canan location, inspired one of his best-known pieces. ‘He Turned the Water into Wine’ is classic Cash, regaling the miracle story with his warmly authoritative vocals and stirring backing choir from The Carter Sisters. It’s a wholly credible recording, whatever your faith (or lack thereof), and truly feels lifted from some in-house church recording.
When playing to San Quentin prison in ’69, Cash shed light on the song’s genesis for the inmate crowd: “We went into the little town of Canaan just over the hills from Nazareth and there’s a church that sits over the cistern where the water came from that Christ turned to wine, where the first miracle was performed”.
He added: “We went into the church, saw the cisterns; you can hear the sounds of the water in there, hear the echo. I was so impressed when I came out of the church. If I ever had an inspiration I had one then from seeing what I had just seen and heard. And I said under my breath, ‘He turned the water into wine,’ of all things. On the way to Tiberius in the car in the next few minutes I wrote this song.”
