Johnny Cash - Sam Stone

Johnny Cash - Sam Stone (written by John Prine)

[michaelvanhorn]

he did a great job in the song was clear and the message is great.. thak JOHN orine for another great song . always be haters

[AlmegaMedia]

I just watched part of an interview with John about Johnny changing the lyric. He said he didn't mind it, but it is obvious he did, by his statement, 'that line is the heart of the song' which is very obvious to ANYONE, and that changing it would completely erase the emotional impact of the lyric. I was really surprised Johnny Cash didn't realize that. Also, that he thought the line was a 'put down'. He could not have been more wrong. In John's debate with Johnny Cash, all he had to have said was, "Johnny, it's not the sentiment of the singer, it was from the mind of Sam Stone, a heroin addict, and it drives home what, many times, happens to people without faith!"

[hildahaselnuss]

I love the song as it is, sung with Johnny's dark and smooth voice, and prefer it to any other version. I understand that he could not sing this line of verse. He was a drug addict himself, suffered terribly from it and almost died from it. According to him, a few friends, June, and most importantly, God, helped him survive. In Johnny's eyes, Jesus didn't die for nothing, he saved his life. In return, he promised God that he would publicly stand by him and not deny him. I'm not religious, but I respect that attitude. The difference with "Sunday Morning Coming Down" is that Prine's lyrics go against Johnny's personal beliefs and he is therefore unable to sing them. On "Sunday Morning", on the other hand, someone wanted to force him to change the lyrics. He also asked John Prine. If Prine had said no, Johnny would not have sung the song. But apparently it was important to Prine that he sing it.

[Crackerjack]

Johnny was just afraid that his audience would not be able to grasp the true meaning of that one line in Prine's song. To me Prine was just trying to show empathy and have some semblance of understanding what it would feel like to be in a heroine addict's shoes. It would be a shallow existence and one could easily feel as though God had forsaken them in their darkest hour. That's the real brilliance of John Prine, he has the rare ability to empathize with the characters in his songs. Speaking of selling out John Prine. Rolling Stone magazine rated Prine 94 in the top 100 songwriters all time. Prine should at the very least be in the top 20 all time greatest songwriters.

[rdc]

I would have liked to hear this song when Rick Reuben was producing Johnny Cash

[ItsWaldo]

Many thanks Abdul for stopping by and I'm glad that you enjoyed your visit. Your comment is very much appreciated. THANKS A LOT

[elamite]

I have to say I don't like the changing of lyrics although I can understand it. I was in Nam although my only wound was some small mortar fragments which did not leave me with any permanent injuries. I became a dope addict but I got no excuse as I got when I was back home in NY and had in fact did it for a time before putting on a uniform. In that way the character in the song is less culpable than me as he only got addicted after the wound. I sniffed it as needles could be dangerous if not sterile and it only takes one time of being sloppy to get HIV, HepC or HepB among other things. They cut dope with quinine back then which after two years left me with an ulcer in my sinuses and nose bleeds One night it wouldn't stop for over six hours so I started shooting it. I worked the whole time driving a truck in NY and for about 50 miles and more around the city. Finally I got on a methadone clinic which though still leaving me a drug addict stopped the spending of so much of my income on dope. I'm not trying to make excuses or point fingers at others but I wonder why someone in that position would not get on a methadone clinic and either attempt to ween him/herself off of it or if not able just stay on methadone? That was no perfect solution and I did at times use coke and alcohol but for the most part it allowed me to live a normal life. The song by the way is great and so too Johnny's rendition! RIP Johnny Vaya con Dios

[michaelvanhorn]

john did change the lyrics bit but was what he believed in., . John P..ddid'tt care .. long as john sang the song .. John p said it was only for JOHN .. he'd not done it for noone else ..

[soulballet]

the line that starts with "Jesus Christ..." that line just died 4 nothin i suppose?

[Cesarbrito]

"Jesus Christ....died for nothing...I suppose" I love Cash but he shouldn't have changed the line. 

[bveracka]

I really love this song, but he totally butchered it here. "Sam Stone" has such a strong message and a significance that is still relevant today, at least when it's performed with some feeling. But Johnny and his band did a terrible job with it on this particular performance. The band is playing the song too fast, and with zero passion. For a song about heroin addiction and war, Johnny puts almost no emphasis on the subject matter. I was also really surprised that, of all people, Johnny Cash changed the lyrics so as not to insult his mostly-Christian audience. 
As I said in my other comment. this was the dark ages of Johnny. I'm a big fan, but the late `70s and `80s were a very bad time for him, and I'm sure he would agree. If the young Johnny could meet the older Johnny in this video, he'd probably kick his own arse for being so soft. Even the band looks like they're bored; they sure play that way. This performance is so pathetically lackluster, it's like a cold mashed-potato sandwich!

[karenhall-gist]

I love this song and have loved it since 1970, but as much as I love Johnny Cash, I don't like his version of this song.  The feeling and emotion Kris puts into it just isn't there with Cash and it breaks my heart.  Plus I don't like the change in Kris lyrics.

[jimakin]

He changed the words! Jesus Christ died for nothing I suppose.

[paulevans]

Changes the lyrics, sings in too high a key, too fast - just murders this song - awful.

[kennethterrell]

As great as Johnny is, he doesn't really get this song. The "radio plays" chorus is supposed to be ironically melodic. That makes the song.

[schulme]

Way too upbeat...Cash didn't get this one, terrible cover. Of course, don't get me started on the lyrical choice.

[stanb]

Just lost a lot of respect for Cash.
He made a big deal of bucking the censors and singing Kristofferson's line about wishing he was stoned.

I guess it's easier when it's someone else's sacred ox

[mdavis]

Truly awful cover, not just because of the lyric change. Soulless, rushed, phoned in, whatever you want to call it. It's an insult to JP

[JMConstWI]

I'm upset that he changed the lyrics.

[jmillerdesign]

Big respect for Johnny, but this is not a good tribute to an incredibly powerful song. Should have just left it to Mr. Prine.