Sam Phillips responded most to a song of mine called, "Hey Porter," which was on the first record. — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
I've got no deep voice today. I've got a cold. But when I was young, I had a high tenor voice. — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
I knew I wanted to sing when I was a very small boy. When I was probably 4 years old. My mother… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
After about three lessons [my] voice teacher said, "Don't take voice lessons. Do it your way. You're a song stylist. Always do… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
I would take songs that I'd loved as a child and redo them in my mind for the new voice I had,… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
I always loved those songs. And with my high tenor, I thought I was pretty good - you know? - almost as… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
They're powerful, those songs. At times they've been my only way back, the only door out of the dark, bad places the… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
A song stylist is, like, to take an old folk song like "Delia's Gone" and do a modern white man's version of… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
I sang those old gospel songs for my mother, and she said, is that you? And I said, yes, ma'am. And she… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
When I get an idea for a song it would gel in my mind for weeks or months, and then one day… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
I got really excited about it. But then we went into the studio and tried to record some with different musicians, and… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
Gospel music was the thing that inspired me as a child growing up on a cotton farm, where work was drudgery and… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
My way of communicating with God as a boy (and often even now) was through the lyrics of a song. . .… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
It just took the right time. I was fully confident that I was going to see Sam Phillips and to record for… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
By the time I actually recorded Bitter Tears I carried a heavy load of sadness and outrage; I felt every word of… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
In the Air Force, I had an old Wilcox Gay recorder, and I used to hear guitar runs on that recorder going… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
The first time I knew what I wanted to do with my life was when I was about four years old. I… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
We [with Rick Rubin] would focus on the ones that we did like, that felt right and sounded right. And if I… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
We went down [Folsom Prison] and there's a rodeo at all these shows that the prisoners have there. And in between the… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
Backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, I got on my knees and told her that I was going to marry her some… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
My contract with mercury PolyGram Nashville was about to expire. And I never had really been happy. The company, the record company,… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
The requests started coming in from other prisoners all over the United States. And then the word got around. So I always… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
I took the easy way, and to an extent I regret that. Still, though, the way we did it was honest. We… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
Every week, Dennis Day sang an old Irish folk song. And next day in the fields, I'd be singing that song if… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
When I record somebody else's song, I have to make it my own or it doesn't feel right. I'll say to myself,… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
Gospel music is so ingrained into my bones. I can't do a concert without singing a gospel song. It's what I was… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
I start a lot more songs than I finish, because I realize when I get into them, they're no good. I don't… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
My mother told me to keep on singing, and that kept me working through the cotton fields. She said God has his… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
Sam Phillips asked me to go write a love song, or maybe a bitter weeper. So I wrote a song called, "Cry… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
I used to sing Bill Monroe songs. And I'd sing Dennis Day songs like songs that he sang on the Jack Benny… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
I did [picking cotton] from - until I was 18 years old, that is. Then I picked the guitar, and I've been… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
You've got a song you're singing from your gut, you want that audience to feel it in their gut. And you've got… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
Sam [Phillips] wanted I Walk The Line up - you know, up-tempo. And I put paper in the strings of my guitar… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
When I finally stopped [singing], he had been saying, like, the last day or so, he'd been saying, now, I think we… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
I read novels but I also read the Bible. And study it, you know? And the more I learn, the more excited I get. — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
Of emotions, of love, of breakup, of love and hate and death and dying, mama, apple pie, and the whole thing. It covers a… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
I'm thankful for a pair of shoes that feel really good on my feet; I like my shoes. I'm thankful for the birds; I… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
I knew I wanted to sing when I was a very small boy. When I was probably 4 years old. My mother played a… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
No matter how much you've sinned, no matter how much you've stumbled, no matter how much you fall, no matter how far you've got… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
I met Sam Phillips when he came in [studio] and I said, I'm John Cash. I'm the one who's been calling. And if you'd… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
My mother told me to keep on singing, and that kept me working through the cotton fields. She said God has his hand on… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
I started to write the song. And I was in Gladewater, Texas, one night with Carl Perkins and I said, I've got a good… — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
I expect my life to end pretty soon. You know, I'm 71 years old. I have great faith, though. I have unshakable faith. — Johnny Cash Copy Share Image
![“After about three lessons [my] voice teacher said, "Don't take voice lessons. Do it your way. You're a song stylist. Always do it your way."” quote by Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c1b/johnny-cash-1517_lessons_after-about-three-lessons-my-voice-teach_2130716.jpg)
![“I got really excited about it. But then we went into the studio and tried to record some with different musicians, and it didn't sound good. It didn't work. So we put together the album [Unchained] with just a guitar and myself.” quote by Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7a0/johnny-cash-1517_albums_i-got-really-excited-about-it-but-then-w_1480353.jpg)
![“We [with Rick Rubin] would focus on the ones that we did like, that felt right and sounded right. And if I didn't like the performance on that song, I would keep trying it and do take after take until it felt comfortable with me and felt that it was coming out of me and my guitar and my voice as…” quote by Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f7c/johnny-cash-1517_comfortable_we-with-rick-rubin-would-focus-on-the-on_2199964.jpg)
![“We went down [Folsom Prison] and there's a rodeo at all these shows that the prisoners have there. And in between the rodeo things, they asked me to set up and do two or three songs. So that was what I did. I did "Folsom Prison Blues," which they thought was their song - you know? - and "I Walk…” quote by Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/998/johnny-cash-1517_cash_we-went-down-folsom-prison-and-there-s-a_1739908.jpg)
![“I did [picking cotton] from - until I was 18 years old, that is. Then I picked the guitar, and I've been picking it since.” quote by Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f1f/johnny-cash-1517_cotton_i-did-picking-cotton-from-until-i-was-18_3007088.jpg)
![“Sam [Phillips] wanted I Walk The Line up - you know, up-tempo. And I put paper in the strings of my guitar to get that (vocalizing) sound, and with the bass and the lead guitar, there it was. Bare and stark, that song was when it was released. And I heard it on the radio and I really didn't like…” quote by Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fe6/johnny-cash-1517_bass_sam-phillips-wanted-i-walk-the-line-up-y_1729588.jpg)
![“When I finally stopped [singing], he had been saying, like, the last day or so, he'd been saying, now, I think we should put this one in the album. So without him saying I want to record you and release an album, he kept - he started saying, let's put this one in the album. So the album, this big…” quote by Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b9c/johnny-cash-1517_albums_when-i-finally-stopped-singing-he-had-be_992773.jpg)
![“I met Sam Phillips when he came in [studio] and I said, I'm John Cash. I'm the one who's been calling. And if you'd listen to me, I believe you'll be glad you did. And he said, come on in. That was a good lesson for me, you know, to believe in myself.” quote by Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/29a/johnny-cash-1517_believe_i-met-sam-phillips-when-he-came-in-studi_126413.jpg)
