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美国国家公共电台 NPR 'Just As True': Johnny Cash's Poems Set To Music For New Album

时间:2018-04-12 02:27:41

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'Just As True': Johnny Cash's Poems Set To Music For New Album

SCOTT DETROW, HOST:

When Johnny Cash died almost 15 years ago, he left behind a trove1 of unpublished poems, handwritten letters and other writing. Now an all-star group of musicians has set up some of those words to music.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "TO JUNE THIS MORNING")

RUSTON KELLY: (Singing) The night was cold as dawson, and on a short white day, the brave sun rose lightning-hot, and singing, climbed its way.

KACEY MUSGRAVES: (Singing) The night was cold as dawson, and on a short white day, the brave sun rose lightning-hot, and singing, climbed its way.

DETROW: That's Ruston Kelly and Kacey Musgraves singing "To June This Morning" off the new collection "Johnny Cash: Forever Words." Those lyrics3, from an actual letter Johnny Cash wrote to his wife, June Carter Cash, who died just four months prior to Johnny in 2003. Other artists on this collection include Elvis Costello, John Mellencamp, Brad Paisley, Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss.

The man who brought the words and musicians together is Johnny and June Cash's son, John Carter Cash. He joins us now from Culver City, Calif.

JOHN CARTER CASH: Oh, thank you for having me. Yeah, great to chat with you.

DETROW: I mean, I imagine this entire project is pretty personal, but taking a letter that your dad wrote your mom and making a song out of it must've really hit home.

J. CASH: Yeah. I mean, he always felt deeply, and a lot of that, you know, made it into paper. And, you know, at the end of his life, yeah, there were some-2,000 pieces of paper or more that were in his office that were left behind. And out of those, there were 60 or 70 unpublished works that were just beautiful. And then there were things that were so personal, there's no way that I would ever, you know, hand them, you know, out to the public.

DETROW: How did you pair the poems with each artist? Did you pick a poem and think, you know, who would sound great singing this? Or what was the process like?

J. CASH: It was amazing to look at all these works and to see the diversity there. I mean, I would read one poem, and I'd go, this sounds like an old English folk ballad4. This could work for Alison Krauss. Or I would, you know, look at another and go, my gosh, that's like a hard rock song, or, oh, man, this lyric2 is something that, you know, that's whimsical and fun and can be sung by a modern folk band. I mean, that was it.

But what made that kind of interpretation5 of his writing handy was that artists out there that love my father have such a diverse range of artistry. And so what you get is you get a true artistic6 interpretation with their particular brushstroke.

DETROW: You got a lot of great people on this album, but I understand some people said, no. Were they just too intimidated7 to go there?

J. CASH: Well, I mean, if I found a written-out idea from Monet, you know, for a concept and I brought it to Picasso, maybe Mr. Picasso may go, I just can't write that. But Van Gogh may.

DETROW: Brad Paisley is one of the artists who did get involved. Let's take a listen to his song, "Gold All Over The Ground."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GOLD ALL OVER THE GROUND")

BRAD PAISLEY: (Singing) If I had you at my mercy, there's no telling what I'd do. But I'd sit and make you listen for an hour, maybe two. And then you'd know I need you every day that rolls around. And your feet would walk on velvet8 with gold all over the ground.

DETROW: I'm looking at that old-fashioned artifact - a liner note on an actual CD - and there's a picture of...

J. CASH: Get out your magnifying glass.

DETROW: (Laughter) There's a picture of the poem. Looks like your dad wrote it in 1967 on a piece of loose-leaf notebook.

J. CASH: Yeah, yeah. He wrote "Gold All Over The Ground" in 1967. And, you know, it's about his love for my mother and, likewise, at that, you know, the same - in the same year, he wrote "You Never Knew My Mind," which Chris Cornell actually finished, and it is about his breakup with his first wife, Vivian. And "Gold All Over The Ground" is about my mother. Well, you know, in 1967, his love with my mother was not public yet, and so he couldn't have sang either of those songs publicly.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "GOLD ALL OVER THE GROUND")

J. CASH: I keep going back in work and in life to the things that matter. And, you know, these words that - they are that. They truly are. And I believe that my father would've wanted them heard.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE CAPTAIN'S DAUGHTER")

ALISON KRAUSS: (Singing) I'm a poor boy, as you know.

DETROW: Alison Krauss and Union Station's song, "The Captain's Daughter," sounds a little different.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE CAPTAIN'S DAUGHTER")

KRAUSS: (Singing) If I begged her, would she go? Or would she tell me no, no, no, no, no?

DETROW: You know, when I think of a Johnny Cash song in my head, whether it's "Folsom Prison Blues9" or toward the end of "American" albums - "The Man Comes Around" - there's a very specific rhythm and cadence10 and a guitar chugging things forward. And there's not much of that on this album. Was that a conscious choice, or do you think the artists you worked with just didn't want to sound like they were trying to impersonate Johnny Cash?

J. CASH: I mean, the words, for one thing, no matter if they wind up sounding like a Johnny Cash song or not, they have an individual, unique intensity11 and strength to them that stands apart. And as an artist, you know, if that leads your creative spirit - honestly, it has to follow your own spirit. My father's not in the room.

DETROW: Let's listen to one last song. Rosanne Cash singing "The Walking Wounded."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE WALKING WOUNDED")

ROSANNE CASH: (Singing) We're in the church house kneeling down. We're in the subways underground. We're in the bars and on the street. We drive a truck. We walk a beat.

DETROW: You know, I'm struck. The first poem - the first song on the album, he talks about the fact that after he's gone, people will still be singing his songs. Fifteen years later here, that's still the case.

J. CASH: Yeah. So as - just as he influences, you know, the 5-year-old kid that stands in front of the mirror and puts on black and sings "Ring Of Fire" every morning - I get emails about that regularly - he also still influences great artists and touches fans around the world. And my father, the man - I miss him greatly, but I'm grateful that his words are still here with us.

DETROW: Did you learn anything or realize anything new about your dad working on this project?

J. CASH: When I read these words now, I hear things that I wouldn't have when I was younger. The truth is that the dark was just as real as the light. My father, you know, he would always admit to his shortcomings - his frailties12. He would expose the darknesses that were within him so that, hopefully, the person out there that was going through the same struggles would see that he was honest and that he could show his flaws and not lose faith and then have strength themself to be - you know, to make it through their own struggles.

And so within these words, I'm reminded of those things when I read them - or reminded of all the different faces of my father and how each of them was just as true.

DETROW: The album is called "Johnny Cash: Forever Words," and we've been talking to Johnny Cash's son, John Carter Cash, who was one of the producers. Thank you so much for talking to us.

J. CASH: Great to talk to you, man.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE WALKING WOUNDED")

R. CASH: (Singing) With resurrections in our face. We're just like little girls and boys. We play with grown-up toys. We never thought of sink or swim. My brother hurts me, so I hurt him. We are the walking.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 trove 5pIyp     
n.被发现的东西,收藏的东西
参考例句:
  • He assembled a rich trove of Chinese porcelain.他收集了一批中国瓷器。
  • The gallery is a treasure trove of medieval art.这个画廊是中世纪艺术的宝库。
2 lyric R8RzA     
n.抒情诗,歌词;adj.抒情的
参考例句:
  • This is a good example of Shelley's lyric poetry.这首诗是雪莱抒情诗的范例。
  • His earlier work announced a lyric talent of the first order.他的早期作品显露了一流的抒情才华。
3 lyrics ko5zoz     
n.歌词
参考例句:
  • music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
  • The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。
4 ballad zWozz     
n.歌谣,民谣,流行爱情歌曲
参考例句:
  • This poem has the distinctive flavour of a ballad.这首诗有民歌风味。
  • This is a romantic ballad that is pure corn.这是一首极为伤感的浪漫小曲。
5 interpretation P5jxQ     
n.解释,说明,描述;艺术处理
参考例句:
  • His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
  • Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。
6 artistic IeWyG     
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的
参考例句:
  • The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
  • These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。
7 intimidated 69a1f9d1d2d295a87a7e68b3f3fbd7d5     
v.恐吓;威胁adj.害怕的;受到威胁的
参考例句:
  • We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。
  • The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 velvet 5gqyO     
n.丝绒,天鹅绒;adj.丝绒制的,柔软的
参考例句:
  • This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒。
  • The new settlers wore the finest silk and velvet clothing.新来的移民穿着最华丽的丝绸和天鹅绒衣服。
9 blues blues     
n.抑郁,沮丧;布鲁斯音乐
参考例句:
  • She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
  • He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。
10 cadence bccyi     
n.(说话声调的)抑扬顿挫
参考例句:
  • He delivered his words in slow,measured cadences.他讲话缓慢而抑扬顿挫、把握有度。
  • He liked the relaxed cadence of his retired life.他喜欢退休生活的悠闲的节奏。
11 intensity 45Ixd     
n.强烈,剧烈;强度;烈度
参考例句:
  • I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
  • The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。
12 frailties 28d94bf15a4044cac62ab96a25d3ef62     
n.脆弱( frailty的名词复数 );虚弱;(性格或行为上的)弱点;缺点
参考例句:
  • The fact indicates the economic frailties of this type of farming. 这一事实表明,这种类型的农业在经济上有其脆弱性。 来自辞典例句
  • He failed therein to take account of the frailties of human nature--the difficulties of matrimonial life. 在此,他没有考虑到人性的种种弱点--夫妻生活的种种难处。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

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