The Big Battle

"The Big Battle" is a song written and originally recorded by Johnny Cash.[2][3]

"The Big Battle"
Single by Johnny Cash
from the album Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash
A-side"The Big Battle"
"When I've Learned"
Released1962 (1962)
Genrecountry
LabelColumbia 4-42301
Songwriter(s)Johnny Cash[1]
Music video
"The Big Battle" (audio only) on YouTube

The song was released as a single by Columbia Records (Columbia 4-42301, with "When I've Learned" on the opposite side)[4][5][6] in January,[7] February,[8] or March 1962.[9] The song was later used on the concept album America: A 200-Year Salute in Story and Song.

Composition

Cash also voiced his personal views regarding the Civil War. He reached number 24 on the country chart in 1962 with "The Big Battle," an intriguing story-song set against the backdrop of the Civil War. It tells of the aftermath of the battle when all that's left are the dead and the dying with the "blue lying alongside the gray." It's a harsh recounting of the tragic toll that war takes on everyone on either side. There's an ominous feel to the song, as Cash successfully paints a devastating portrait of the high cost of war. This is one of Cash's most thought-out and fully developed compositions. The song drives home the message that the repercussions of war never cease and the battle goes on long after the fighting is over.

— John M. Alexander. The Man in Song: A Discographic Biography of Johnny Cash[2]

Charts
Chart (1962) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[10] 24
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References
  1. "Johnny Cash - The Big Battle". Discogs. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
  2. John M. Alexander (16 April 2018). The Man in Song: A Discographic Biography of Johnny Cash. University of Arkansas Press. pp. 41–. ISBN 978-1-61075-628-0.
  3. John L. Smith (1 January 1999). Another Song to Sing: The Recorded Repertoire of Johnny Cash. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-3629-7.
  4. Joel Whitburn (2002). Top Country Singles, 1944 to 2001: Chart Data Compiled from Billboard's Country Singles Charts, 1944-2001. Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-151-2.
    Joel Whitburn (2005). Joel Whitburn's Top Country Songs: 1944-2005, Billboard. Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-165-9.
  5. Tim Neely (2004-05-01). Goldmine Records & Prices. Krause Publications. ISBN 978-0-87349-781-7. The Big Battle What I've Learned 42301.
  6. George Albert (1984-01-01). The Cash Box Country Singles Charts, 1958-1982. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-1685-5.
  7. Steve Turner (2005-10-30). The Man Called CASH: The Life, Love and Faith of an American Legend. Thomas Nelson. pp. 246–. ISBN 978-1-4185-7809-1.
  8. The Johnny Cash Record Catalog. Greenwood Publishing Group. 1994. pp. 21–. ISBN 978-0-313-29506-5.
  9. Peter Lewry (2001). I've Been Everywhere: A Johnny Cash Chronicle. Helter Skelter. ISBN 978-1-900924-22-1.
    March
    “The Big Battle"/"When I've Learned” (Columbia 4-42301) is released and enters the chart at the end of the month.
  10. "Johnny Cash Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
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