The Story Behind The Song: How Johnny Cash bought glamour and depravity to ‘I Walk The Line’
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The surreal joke Johnny Cash told Bill Withers in Hawaii
In terms of artistry, Johnny Cash and Bill Withers couldn’t be further apart, but in terms of character, they were very similar, both dedicated to their craft and their own perception of the world.
Cash was ‘The Man in Black’ an icon of rebel country whose music had a natural edge, informed by his life experiences and imbued with the authenticity of a man who had lived life to its fullest, following his own unwavering sense of the self, and of freedom. He was the antithesis to the rhinestone wearing country acts of old, and people lapped up his realistic style as this was country music for the modern world.
Cash was a real character, and whether it be his countless albums, performances in prisons, or his stint on TV in the 1970s, there’s a lot to dive into. There’s no real surprise that he continues to inspire people from all walks of life today, some 19 years after his tragic passing.
As for Bill Withers, he was also another unapologetic character. Coming from an equally humble background as Cash, his father was a miner and his mother a maid. He was born with a stutter, and as a child, he found it hard to fit in, which was only exacerbated by his parent’s divorce when he was young. At 17, he joined the US Navy, and it was here that he truly found himself, honing his craft as a musician through singing and writing songs.
He left the Navy in 1965 before relocating to Los Angeles in 1967 in the hope of finding some success as a musician. He released his debut single ‘Three Nights and a Morning’ later that year, which was arranged by the celebrated Canadian composer Mort Garson, but it went under the radar. The track was eventually reworked into Withers’ fan favourite ‘Harlem’.
Whilst cutting his teeth on the Los Angeles circuit, he worked a series of jobs, including as an assembler for a variety of companies such as IBM and Ford, and he used the money from these jobs to record more demos, offering them to record companies, and then performing in clubs at night in the hope of striking success.
Perhaps the greatest indicator of his character came after the release of his classic crossover track ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ in 1971, when he refused to quit his job, citing just how fickle he believed the music industry to be.
Well, before too long, Withers would quit his day job as his warm, husky voice became one of the most instantly recognisable out there. The introspection and honesty contained in his 1971 debut album, Just As I Am, established Withers as one of the definitive songwriters of his generation. Featuring ‘Harlem’ and ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’, the record is a masterpiece and is widely hailed as Withers’ magnum opus.
However, there is another song on the album that is equally as iconic as those mentioned above, this is the second and final single, ‘Grandma’s Hands’. During an interview with Goldmine, Withers revealed that he always knew the track was one of his best: “The only thing that I thought was special when we did that album was telling Booker T. about ‘Grandma’s Hands.’ I said, ‘If anybody remembers me, they’re gonna remember me for this’. And now when people come up to me, they usually sing ‘Grandma’s Hands’.”
It turns out that ‘The Man in Black’ himself was also a great fan of Withers’ work. One day, the pair’s paths crossed in Hawaii and reflecting just how much he loved the song, Cash made one of his sharpest but most surreal quips. Withers recalled: “Johnny Cash came to see me once in Hawaii, and I was surprised Johnny Cash knew who I was. He said, ‘I’d like to meet your grandmother.'”
