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Rating: "One thing I’ve learned about Johnny Cash is that you don’t tell him what to sing."
- Richard Nixon -
Pretty much everyone, whether they are music enthusiasts or not, is aware of the famous meeting that took place in December 1970 between Elvis Presley and then U.S. President Richard Nixon. A bizarre meeting, where it seems "The King" asked the massive figure of the USA for a badge to "be officially appointed" as an FBI narcotics agent (with the probable intent of traveling undisturbed with any substance). This encounter is certainly much more anecdotal and amusing to recall compared to another one which perhaps not many know, but I wish to bring to light for the readers of DeBaser.
In front of Nixon, indeed, stood John Ray Cash, known to friends as Johnny, in April of the same year. The invitation was sparked by a mutual friend, a certain Billy Graham, and naturally included a short private performance by Cash at the White House; yet the performance was not the most significant. Two years later, in July 1972, Cash proved to be more than just a banal country singer, all glitter and cowboy boots. The occasion for this second meeting immediately appeared more serious; Cash was in Washington to testify before a Senate committee on the prison situation in America. He had recently performed several concerts in some notorious American prisons, such as Folsom or San Quentin, and the issue of inmates' conditions was very close to his heart. Nixon took the opportunity to invite him again to perform in the Oval Office, but this time with a specific request regarding the songs to be played. The President reportedly asked Cash to play one of his great classics, "A Boy Named Sue", and two satirical songs about hippies, political protesters, and poor people, with a very conservative slant (for the record, the titles are "Okie From Muskogee" and "Welfare Cadillac"). Unofficially, Cash decided not to play the last two because he didn’t know the lyrics or the chords; but the truth, which emerged after some time, is that they didn’t align with his ideology at all. No gentlemen, Johnny Cash was not at all comfortable singing certain things; and it was no accident that he replaced those pieces with three self-written songs, extremely critical of the American politics of the time. And, I think you’ll agree, it takes a lot of guts to bluntly present one’s antimilitaristic and anti-conformist ideas in the face of the American president, during such an acute period of conflict (with a war in Vietnam not yet ended) and social tensions.
The singer brought out some really heavy-duty pieces, namely: "What Is Truth?", an incredibly Dylan-like song that speaks of a troubled youth, seeking meaning and truth to the terrible events they witness daily; "The Man in Black", a true manifesto of Cash's ideology, listing all the reasons why he always dresses in black, as if in mourning for all the injustices and sufferings of the world; and, finally, "The Ballad of Ira Hayes", the story of the famous American marine of Indian origins who, returning from World War II, was left to fend for himself and died of alcoholism and the worst post-war traumas. Not exactly three lighthearted songs to perform or receive casually; reporters present at the event speak of a Nixon smiling tightly, but it seems there were never any tensions of sorts between the two. Cash, with all his dignity, made himself available and glad to help his country, was struck by the president’s kindness and stated, as a fervent Catholic, that he prayed for him and his work every day. Nixon, perhaps a bit carelessly, thanked Cash for his positive influence on music and young people, on the fact that country music "didn’t lead youngsters to brawl and rebel" thanks to its light themes; I said carelessly because Cash's repertoire already included several songs about the worst criminals, cocaine addicts, and outcasts of all kinds, besides him not being a model of virtue himself in his youth.
In short, all this scroll to testify to a unique event, an example of courage and musical activism without too many proclamations or spotlighting; just a lot of seriousness, a lot of sobriety, social consciousness, and, above all, intellectual honesty. Because the voice of Johnny Cash itself is perhaps the most akin to his personality: straightforward, deep, visceral, tormented. To remind us of "who is left behind", today more than ever, we would need many "Men in Black".
Thank you, Johnny.
P.s.: you can find all audio-visual sources on YouTube by searching "Nixon and Cash", for both the first and second meetings.
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