Songs of Our Soil is the fourth studio album by American singer Johnny Cash. It was originally released on July 6, 1959, and later re-issued on August 27, 2002 with two additional bonus tracks.

Songs of Our Soil
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 6, 1959
RecordedJuly 24, 1958–March 13, 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]

The major theme throughout this album is death. 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

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Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."Drink to Me"Johnny CashJuly 24, 19581:54
2."Five Feet High and Rising"CashMarch 12, 19591:46
3."The Man on the Hill"CashMarch 12, 19592:09
4."Hank and Joe and Me"CashMarch 12, 19592:13
5."Clementine"Billy Mize, Buddy MizeMarch 12, 19592:30
6."The Great Speckled Bird"TraditionalMarch 13, 19592:09
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
7."I Want to Go Home"TraditionalMarch 13, 19591:58
8."The Caretaker"CashMarch 13, 19592:06
9."Old Apache Squaw"CashMarch 13, 19591:46
10."Don't Step On Mother's Roses"CashMarch 13, 19592:34
11."My Grandfather's Clock"Henry Clay WorkMarch 13, 19592:45
12."It Could Be You (Instead of Him)"Vic McAlpinJanuary 23, 19591:50
Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
13."I Got Stripes"Cash, Charlie WilliamsMarch 12, 19592:05
14."You Dreamer You"CashMarch 12, 19591:49
Total length:29:34

Personnel

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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

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Singles - Billboard (United States)

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

References

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