Songs of Our Soil

Infobox Album | Name = Songs of Our Soil
Type = Album
Artist = Johnny Cash


Released = Original: September 1959
Re-issued: August 27, 2002
Recorded = July 24, 1958 - March 12, 1959
Genre = Country
Length = Original: 25:40
Re-issue: 29:34
Label = Columbia
Producer = Don Law, Al Quaglieri
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:yhdjylojxpsb link]
Last album = "Hymns by Johnny Cash"
(1959)
This album = "Songs of Our Soil"
(1959)
Next album = "Sings Hank Williams"
(1960)

"Songs of Our Soil" is the sixth album by the singer Johnny Cash. It was originally released in September 1959 (see 1959 in music), but later re-issued on August 27 2002 (see 2002 in music) with two bonus tracks.

The album is something of a curiosity in that a majority of the songs involve dying. Death concludes "The Man on the Hill," "Hank and Joe and Me," "Clementine," "The Great Speckled Bird" and "My Grandfather's Clock." "Don't Step on Mother's Roses" is about a family losing their parents to death; first Mother, then Daddy. "The Caretaker" is the story of a cemetery caretaker wondering who will mourn for him when his time comes. Even "Five Feet High and Rising" ("the hives are gone; I lost my bees") and "Old Apache Squaw" ("...the next white man that sees my face is gonna be a dead white man") mention death in some way.

By his own admission, Cash was becoming fascinated by death during this time, in part due to his growing amphetamine and barbiturate dependence. [MAN IN BLACK by Johnny Cash, published in 1975]

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Track listing

All tracks composed by Johnny Cash; except where indicated

#"Drink to Me" – 1:54
#"Five Feet High and Rising" – 1:46
#"The Man on the Hill" – 2:09
#"Hank and Joe and Me" – 2:13
#"Clementine" (Billy Mize, Buddy Mize) – 2:30
#"Great Speckled Bird" (Roy Carter, Guy Smith) – 2:09
#"I Want to Go Home" – 1:58
#"The Caretaker" – 2:06
#"Old Apache Squaw" – 1:46
#"Don't Step on Mother's Roses" – 2:34
#"My Grandfather's Clock" (Traditional) – 2:45
#"It Could Be You (Instead of Him)" (Vic McAlpin) – 1:50

Bonus tracks

#"I Got Stripes" (Cash, Charlie Williams) – 2:05
#"You Dreamer You" – 1:49

Personnel

*Johnny Cash - Arranger, Guitar, Vocals, Main Performer
*Al Casey - Guitar
*Luther Perkins - Electric Guitar
*Marshall Grant - Bass guitar
*Marvin Hughes - Piano
*Morris Palmer - Drums

Additional personnel
*Don Law - Original Recording Producer
*Al Quaglieri - Reissue Producer
*Seth Foster - Engineer
*Mark Wilder - Mastering, Mixing
*Billy Altman - Liner Notes
*Don Hunstein - Photography
*Steven Berkowitz - A&R
*Howard Fritzson - Art Direction
*Randall Martin - Design
*John Christiana - Packaging Manager

Charts

Singles - Billboard (North America)

References

External links

* [http://maninblack.net Maninblack.net Great Johnny Cash Fansite]
* [http://www.lpdiscography.com/c/Cash/cash_songsofour.htm LP Discography entry on "Songs of Our Soil"]