Today's song is "You Wild Colorado" by Johnny Cash. Cash is a legendary artist with a large body of work. He has concept albums such as "Ride This Train", gospel records ("Hymns by Johnny Cash"), and even a comedy album ("Everybody Loves a Nut.") One unique aspect of Johnny Cash is his mass appeal among both country fans, and those who avoid country music like the plague. He deserves to be considered one of the greatest artists of all time regardless of genre. When people think of great Johnny Cash songs, they will either recall his hits such as "I Walk the Line", or his work with Rick Rubin on the excellent American Recordings series.
"You Wild Colorado" is found on the album Orange Blossom Special. It is sandwiched between two of the three Bob Dylan covers found on the album. The song is decidedly stripped back, with just Cash and his guitar. This strengthens the melancholic longing displayed on the track. Most of the Man in Black's songs have a story, so what is "You Wild Colorado" about?
The narrator of the song is looking out at the Colorado River, stricken by its power and beauty. He seems to be drawn to the river: "Oh you wild raging river like my woman's lips you lure me, pied piper of the desert, roll on to the sea." He also says: "If I had no love of life, I'd become part of your flow, but I fear the place you'd take me, you wild Colorado." If he did not love life, he would commit suicide by drowning himself in the Colorado river so that he could become part of something bigger than himself. That's some pretty heavy subject matter. In spite of this, "You Wild Colorado" does not seem like a depressing song, especially if you listen to the delivery of the singer.
The delivery and tone of the song seems to be more of awe and longing than outright suicidal depression. Sure, Cash sounds sad on the song, but he focuses more on the majestic nature of the river: "Oh you wild raging river, from the fountains of the mountains, you ripple down the valleys, growing wide and swift and deep."
The first few times I listened to the song, I thought the lyric "Love of life" was "Love in my life". I thought this referred to the woman referenced in the opening lyrics. But, as we see in these lyrics: "You're as wayward as my woman, you wild Colorado." His woman may not be the most loyal in the world. This could be why he's so attracted by both her and the river, but it may also be the death of him. I say this because directly following the "wayward" line, he repeats this lyric: "If I had no love of life, I'd become part of your flow, but I fear the place you'd take me, you wild Colorado." For me, this implies that the narrator is pretty close to giving up, but is not quite there yet.
Overall, this is just a beautiful piece of music. Unlike some songs, its simplicity works completely in its favor. "You Wild Colorado" deserves to be remembered just as fondly as any other Cash song. Thank you for reading, and have an excellent day!
"You Wild Colorado" is found on the album Orange Blossom Special. It is sandwiched between two of the three Bob Dylan covers found on the album. The song is decidedly stripped back, with just Cash and his guitar. This strengthens the melancholic longing displayed on the track. Most of the Man in Black's songs have a story, so what is "You Wild Colorado" about?
The narrator of the song is looking out at the Colorado River, stricken by its power and beauty. He seems to be drawn to the river: "Oh you wild raging river like my woman's lips you lure me, pied piper of the desert, roll on to the sea." He also says: "If I had no love of life, I'd become part of your flow, but I fear the place you'd take me, you wild Colorado." If he did not love life, he would commit suicide by drowning himself in the Colorado river so that he could become part of something bigger than himself. That's some pretty heavy subject matter. In spite of this, "You Wild Colorado" does not seem like a depressing song, especially if you listen to the delivery of the singer.
The delivery and tone of the song seems to be more of awe and longing than outright suicidal depression. Sure, Cash sounds sad on the song, but he focuses more on the majestic nature of the river: "Oh you wild raging river, from the fountains of the mountains, you ripple down the valleys, growing wide and swift and deep."
The first few times I listened to the song, I thought the lyric "Love of life" was "Love in my life". I thought this referred to the woman referenced in the opening lyrics. But, as we see in these lyrics: "You're as wayward as my woman, you wild Colorado." His woman may not be the most loyal in the world. This could be why he's so attracted by both her and the river, but it may also be the death of him. I say this because directly following the "wayward" line, he repeats this lyric: "If I had no love of life, I'd become part of your flow, but I fear the place you'd take me, you wild Colorado." For me, this implies that the narrator is pretty close to giving up, but is not quite there yet.
Overall, this is just a beautiful piece of music. Unlike some songs, its simplicity works completely in its favor. "You Wild Colorado" deserves to be remembered just as fondly as any other Cash song. Thank you for reading, and have an excellent day!
