Songs of Our Soil

Songs of Our Soil is the sixth album by the singer Johnny Cash. It was originally released on July 6, 1959 (see 1959 in music), and later re-issued on August 27, 2002 (see 2002 in music) with two bonus tracks.

Songs of Our Soil
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 6, 1959
RecordedJuly 24, 1958 - March 16, 1959
Genre
LengthOriginal: 25:40
Re-issue: 29:34
LabelColumbia
Producer
Johnny Cash chronology
Hymns by Johnny Cash
(1959)
Songs of Our Soil
(1959)
Greatest!
(1959)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

A majority of the songs involve dying. Death concludes "The Man on the Hill", "Hank and Joe and Me", "Clementine" 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 Great Speckled Bird" is a spiritual about the Second Coming of Jesus. "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. "I Want to Go Home" is a retitled version of the nautical standard "The John B. Sails".

By his own admission, Cash was becoming fascinated by death during this time, in part due to his growing amphetamine and barbiturate dependence, and also due to the premature death of his brother.[2]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Drink to Me"Johnny Cash1:54
2."Five Feet High and Rising"Cash1:46
3."The Man on the Hill"Cash2:09
4."Hank and Joe and Me"Cash2:13
5."Clementine"Billy Mize, Buddy Mize2:30
6."Great Speckled Bird"Traditional2:09
7."I Want to Go Home"Traditional1:58
8."The Caretaker"Cash2:06
9."Old Apache Squaw"Cash1:46
10."Don't Step On Mother's Roses"Cash2:34
11."My Grandfather's Clock"Henry Clay Work2:45
12."It Could Be You (Instead of Him)"Vic McAlpin1:50
Total length:25:40
Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."I Got Stripes"Cash, Charlie Williams2:05
14."You Dreamer You"Cash1:49
Total length:29:34

Personnel

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)

Year Single Chart Position
1959 "Five Feet High and Rising" Country Singles 14
1959 "Five Feet High and Rising" Pop Singles 76

References

  1. Allmusic review
  2. MAN IN BLACK by Johnny Cash, published in 1975
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