"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.
Both sung and spoken, the song makes numerous
Biblical references, especially to the
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament (and consequently the final book of the Christian Bible). Its title is derived from the first word of the Koine Greek text: , meaning "unveiling" or "revelation". The Book of ...
.
[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".]
Symbols and references in the lyrics
There are numerous biblical references in the lyrics.
A spoken portion from
Revelation 6
Revelation 6 is the sixth chapter of the Book of Revelation or the Apocalypse of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The book is traditionally attributed to John the Apostle, but the precise identity of the author remains a point o ...
:1–2 in the
King James Version
The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an Bible translations into English, English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and publis ...
introduces the song.
The passage describes the coming of the
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are figures in the Christian scriptures, first appearing in the Book of Revelation, a piece of apocalypse literature written by John of Patmos.
Revelation 6 tells of a book or scroll in God's right hand t ...
, each heralded by one of the "four beasts" first mentioned in
Revelation 4
Revelation 4 is the fourth chapter of the Book of Revelation or the Apocalypse of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The book is traditionally attributed to John the Apostle, but the precise identity of the author remains a point of ...
:6–9. The musical portion then begins with Cash reciting that "the man" (
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
) will one day come to
pass judgment. The chorus indicates that these events will be accompanied by
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
s (as in
Revelation 8
Revelation 8 is the eighth chapter of the Book of Revelation or the Apocalypse of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The book is traditionally attributed to John the Apostle, but the precise identity of the author remains a point o ...
,
9,
11), pipers (
Rev. 18:22), and "one hundred million
angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inclu ...
s singing". The voice of the Lord in Revelation is often likened to the sound of a loud trumpet (
Revelation 1
Revelation 1 is the first chapter of the Book of Revelation or the Apocalypse of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The book is traditionally attributed to John the Apostle, but the precise identity of the author is a point of a ...
:10; 4:1; and 8:13).
Revelation 5
Revelation 5 is the fifth chapter of the Book of Revelation or the Apocalypse of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The book is traditionally attributed to John the Apostle, but the precise identity of the author remains a point of ...
:11 states that
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Secon ...
saw that there are millions of angels in Heaven.
The song also alludes to the
Parable of the Ten Virgins
The Parable of the Ten Virgins, also known as the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins or the Parable of the ten bridesmaids, is one of the parables of Jesus. According to , ten virgins await a bridegroom; five have brought enough oil f ...
from the
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel of Matthew), or simply Matthew. It is most commonly abbreviated as "Matt." is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells how Israel's Messiah, Jesus, comes to his people and form ...
(25:1–13) with the lyrics "The virgins are all trimming their wicks," a reference to the virgins' preparation of the
Second Coming of Christ. The phrase, "It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks" cites
Acts
The Acts of the Apostles ( grc-koi, Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; la, Actūs Apostolōrum) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its message ...
26:14, where
Paul the Apostle describes meeting Jesus while
traveling to Damascus. It is a reference to a Greek proverb where a kicking ox only injures himself by attempting to kick against a
goad
The goad is a traditional farming implement, used to spur or guide livestock, usually oxen, which are pulling a plough or a cart; used also to round up cattle. It is a type of long stick with a pointed end, also known as the cattle prod.
The ...
, intended to represent the futility of resisting the Lord.
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 "
God's Gonna Cut You Down"); two guitars, piano (played in the bass register), and an
electric organ
An electric organ, also known as electronic organ, is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the pump organ, harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally designed to imitate their sound, or orchestral sounds, it has sinc ...
.
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.
An alternative "early take" of the song appears on the ''
Unearthed'' box set (2003) and ''
The Legend of Johnny Cash
''The Legend of Johnny Cash'' is a single-disc compilation album of American musician and singer Johnny Cash's career. It is the first such album to contain material from Cash's American Recordings era in addition to songs from his time at Sun ...
'' (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
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
''.
Certifications
In popular culture
* The song was used during the opening credits of the 2004 remake of ''
Dawn of the Dead''.
* 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
''Killing Them Softly'' (stylized in marketing as ''killing them softly'') is a 2012 American neo-noir crime film written and directed by Andrew Dominik and stars Brad Pitt. Based on George V. Higgins' 1974 novel '' Cogan's Trade'', the stor ...
''.
*The song is used over a montage of
Raymond Reddington investigating and executing members of an attack against him in the eleventh episode of the first season of NBC's ''
The Blacklist
''The Blacklist'' is an American crime thriller television series that premiered on NBC on September 23, 2013. The show follows Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader), a former U.S. Navy officer turned high-profile criminal who voluntarily s ...
.''
*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 ''
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', also referred to as ''CSI'' and ''CSI: Las Vegas'', is an American procedural forensics crime drama television series that ran on CBS from October 6, 2000, to September 27, 2015, spanning 15 seasons. This wa ...
'' "
Better Off Dead".
* The song is used in the opening credits on Season 3 Episode 16 of ''
Criminal Minds
''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was revived in 2022. It ...
'' "
Elephant's Memory
Elephant's Memory (also billed as Elephants Memory, without the apostrophe) was an American rock band formed in New York City in the late 1960s, known primarily for backing John Lennon and Yoko Ono from late 1971 to 1973. For live performance ...
".
* The song was used in the trailer and soundtrack for the 2022 film ''
Father Stu
''Father Stu'' is a 2022 biographical drama film starring Mark Wahlberg as Stuart Long, a boxer-turned-Catholic priest who lives with a progressive muscle disorder. The film is written and directed by Rosalind Ross in her directorial debut. T ...
''.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Man Comes Around, The
Johnny Cash songs
Songs based on the Bible
2002 songs
Songs written by Johnny Cash
Song recordings produced by Rick Rubin
pl:The Man Comes Around