The Man Comes Around
 | This article possibly contains original research. (October 2012) |
| "The Man Comes Around" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Johnny Cash | |
| from the album American IV: The Man Comes Around | |
| Released | May 24, 2002 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 4:26 |
| Label |
|
| Songwriter(s) | Johnny Cash |
| Producer(s) | |
"The Man Comes Around" is the title track from Johnny Cash's American IV: The Man Comes Around, released in 2002. It was written several years prior to the release of the album; however, Cash updated it for the album. It is one of the last songs Cash wrote before his death.[4] Both sung and spoken, the song makes numerous Biblical references, especially to the Book of Revelation.[5]
Symbols and references in the lyrics
There are numerous biblical references in the lyrics.[5] A spoken portion from Revelation 6:1–2 in the King James Version[6] introduces the song.[7] The passage describes the coming of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, each heralded by one of the "four beasts" first mentioned in Revelation 4:6–9. The musical portion then begins with Cash reciting that "the man" (Jesus Christ) will one day come to pass judgment. The chorus indicates that these events will be accompanied by trumpets (as in Revelation 8, 9, 11), pipers (Rev. 18:22), and "one hundred million angels singing". The voice of the Lord in Revelation is often likened to the sound of a loud trumpet (Revelation 1:10; 4:1; and 8:13). Revelation 5:11 states that John saw that there are millions of angels in Heaven.
The song also alludes to the
Elsewhere, the song mentions the wise men who bow before the Lord's throne, and cast their "golden crowns" at the feet of God. Revelation 4 refers to elders who worship the Lord and "lay their crowns" before Him (Revelation 4:10). "Alpha and Omega" refers to God himself (Rev. 1:8, 11; 21:6, 22:13), but also to the cries of the newborn and the dying. "Whoever is unjust… etc" is a quote from Revelation 22:11.
Music
The arrangement of the song is sparse (although not so much as in some of Cash's later compositions, such as "
History
Of the album's fifteen tracks, only three were written by Cash, with "The Man Comes Around" the sole song specifically penned for it, and the only song Cash wrote in its entirety.
The song was inspired by a dream Cash had about Queen Elizabeth II in which the Queen compared Cash to "a thorn tree in a whirlwind." Haunted by the dream, Cash became curious if the phrase was a biblical reference and eventually found a similar phrase in the Book of Job.[8]
An alternative "early take" of the song appears on the Unearthed box set (2003) and The Legend of Johnny Cash (2005). The "Legend" version omits the spoken word intro and outro.
Legacy
The song was listed as the 296th best song of the 2000s by Pitchfork.
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[9] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
In popular culture
- The song was used during the opening credits of the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead.[10]
- The song is used in the last episode of the first season of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
- The song was used in the ending sequence for the final episode of the 2008 miniseries Generation Kill.
- The song was used in the live action debut trailer for the 2011 video game Operation Flashpoint: Red River.
- The song was used in the trailer and soundtrack for the 2012 film Killing Them Softly.[10]
- The song is used over a montage of The Blacklist.
- The song was used during the ending credits of the movie Logan.
- The song is used in the wedding scene of the 2008 film My Best Friend's Girl.
- The song was used during the end credits of the 2003 film The Hunted, which also featured opening credits voiceover by Cash himself.
- The song was used for the final sequence in the ninth episode of the first season of TNT's continuation of Dallas.
- The song was used in the opening sequence on season 10 episode 10 of Better Off Dead".
- The song is used in the opening credits on Season 3 Episode 16 of Elephant's Memory".
- The song was used in the trailer and soundtrack for the 2022 film Father Stu.[10]
References
- ISBN 978-1-4411-0396-3.
- ISBN 978-0-8131-7254-5.
- ^ Dansby, Andrew (August 15, 2002). "Cash Enlists Apple, Henley". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
- ^ Brinkley, T. (October 15, 2006), "Walking the Line", The New York Times (review),
one of his last original compositions
- ^ a b In the album's liner notes, Cash states that the song is "based, loosely, on the book of Revelation, with a couple of lines or a chorus, from other biblical sources".
- ^ REV 6:1–6:2
- ^ Beckett, Colin (September 1, 2003). "Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^ Kamp, David (October 2004). "American Communion". Vanity Fair. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^ "British single certifications – Johnny Cash – The Man Comes Around". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- ^ a b c Lewis, J. S. (October 27, 2014). "Movie Music Moment: Dawn of the Dead ("When the Man Comes Around")". Cineflect. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
External links
- Lyons, William John (2009). Lyons, W.J.; Økland, J. (eds.). "The Apocalypse according to Johnny Cash: Examining the 'effect' of the Book of Revelation on a contemporary apocalyptic writer". The Way the World Ends? The Apocalypse of John in Culture and Ideology. Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press: 95–122. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
