# Mellow Johnny Cash songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 17, 2006, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745 "2006-03-17T14:58:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mithril](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mithril/32/3517_2.png) [@Mithril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithril)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/1 "2006-03-17T14:58:45Z")
Are there any nice, slow-dancable Johnny Cash songs? I am looking for a father-daughter dance for my upcoming wedding. We used to always listen to Johnny and Kenny Rogers while we were in the cellar making stuff out of wood, and I thought it would be nice to have a Man in Black song for this occasion. Unfortunately, ‘Ring of Fire’ and ‘Farmer’s Almanac’ don’t really do it. I am not too concerned with lyrics, as long as they aren’t about shooting a man in Reno. Just something we can dance to that isn’t of the romantic type. Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/2 "2006-03-17T15:04:43Z")
Well if you aren’t concerned about lyrics… on his (I think last) album, [American IV](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006L7XQ/sr=8-1/qid=1142607678/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-1579430-9604803?%5Fencoding=UTF8), a collection of standards not penned by Cash himself, there’s a beautiful rendition (imo) of _The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face_. The initial lyrics would be perfect for a father-daughter dance: \*The first time ever I saw your face I thought the sun rose in your eyes And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave To the night and the empty skies my love To the night and the empty skies \* Unfortunately from there it gets into a more romantic feel (_The first time ever I lay with you_ being the most notable), but if you could just keep it to that first part it’d be ideal. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/3 "2006-03-17T15:42:00Z")
I was going to say the same song… Lyrics-wise it is kind of suspect for a parent dance, but it’s a beautiful cover. You’d have to look at late Johnny Cash I think. Early Cash was unique because of the energy behind all the songs. “Deliah’s Gone” maybe? “I Still Miss someone” might be a little too quick for slow dancing. Same with “Flesh and Blood” ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/4 "2006-03-17T15:50:02Z")
> [@Push You Down](#): > > “Deliah’s Gone” maybe? " Probably not. Delia’s dead. “Delia, oh, Delia Delia all my life If I hadn’t have shot poor Delia I’d have had her for my wife Delia’s gone, one more round, Delia’s gone” ---
**Author:** ![Walter\_Windchill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Walter\_Windchill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walter_Windchill)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/5 "2006-03-17T16:04:07Z")
How about “Ballad of a Teenage Queen”? Or “Daddy Sang Bass”? ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/6 "2006-03-17T16:21:06Z")
How about You Are My Sunshine? It’s in the Unearthed box set. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/7 "2006-03-17T18:06:01Z")
From the excellent live at Folsom and San Quentin sets, I offer the following: Dark as the Dungeon I Still Miss Someone The Long Black Veil Send a Picture of Mother Give My Love to Rose Starkville City Jail Green Green Grass of Home Peace in the Valley …all mellow songs, though not necessarily so lyrically, but that’s just Johnny Cash for you. ---
**Author:** ![chefjef](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e480ec/32.png) [@chefjef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chefjef)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/8 "2006-03-17T19:39:18Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Well if you aren’t concerned about lyrics… > > on his (I think last) album, [American IV](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006L7XQ/sr=8-1/qid=1142607678/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-1579430-9604803?%5Fencoding=UTF8), a collection of standards not penned by Cash himself, there’s a beautiful rendition (imo) of _The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face_. The initial lyrics would be perfect for a father-daughter dance: > > \*The first time ever I saw your face > I thought the sun rose in your eyes > And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave > To the night and the empty skies my love > To the night and the empty skies \* > > Unfortunately from there it gets into a more romantic feel (_The first time ever I lay with you_ being the most notable), but if you could just keep it to that first part it’d be ideal. I love this song! Great slow dance but i am not sure for a father daughter dance but if you two are cool with it then go fot it! ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/9 "2006-03-17T21:29:45Z")
How about “Sunday Morning Coming Down”? Just kidding. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/10 "2006-03-17T21:30:59Z")
Well there’s “Memories are Made of This” which is a definite wedding song. Check out the [url=http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/memories-are-made-of-this-lyrics-johnny-cash/b993baf60647ef8548256db90007700f]lyrics[/url;] and see what you think. I think it would be pretty good one, it is a beautiful song. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/11 "2006-03-17T21:32:07Z")
[fixed link](http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/memories-are-made-of-this-lyrics-johnny-cash/b993baf60647ef8548256db90007700f). ---
**Author:** ![dbygawdcapn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dbygawdcapn/32/3995_2.png) [@dbygawdcapn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dbygawdcapn)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/12 "2006-03-17T23:11:31Z")
Memories Are Made Of This - from the “Unchained” CD. ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/13 "2006-03-17T23:59:11Z")
> [@Subterraneanus](#): > > How about “Sunday Morning Coming Down”? I was about to say the same thing, because it is a beautiful song. Perhaps not the kind of beauty you’d like on a occasion like this, but it is … man, it’s good. ---
**Author:** ![Mithril](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mithril/32/3517_2.png) [@Mithril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithril)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/14 "2006-03-18T02:09:03Z")
Thanks for your thoughts, everyone. **Ghanima** and **dbygawdcapn** , Memories are Made of This seems like it would be a great husband/wife dance, but I’m not sure about a father/daughter one. It’s really romantic. I wonder if I can pare down The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face… **An Arky** , I looked up the lyrics for each of those songs, and I was reminded why Johnny Cash was so popular in the prisons. He really sang about how badly things can go. Peace on the Mountain is such a beautiful song, I get chills. Actually, I get chills from most of his American Recordings. It’s making it hard to make an objective decision. **Walter Windchill,** Daddy Sang Bass is too fast for our clumsy selves, or at least the version of it that I heard is. **AuntiePam** , that sounds good. I’ll have to give it a listen. Again, thanks to everyone for their ideas. Like **Push You Down** and **An Arky** say, it’s tough with Johnny Cash. His work is raw and touching, but his subject matters don’t go towards the non-romantic love. I feel pretty confident now that there isn’t some random lyrically- and musically-perfect song for this that I missed. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/15 "2006-03-18T03:04:52Z")
His duet with Bob Dylan on “Girl from the North Country” might work. ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/16 "2006-03-18T06:09:33Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > His duet with Bob Dylan on “Girl from the North Country” might work. You know, I love Johnny to itty-bitty pieces, and I love Bob to even ittier-bittier pieces, but I just don’t cotton to the two together. Brilliant in theory, but in actuality … not so much. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/17 "2006-03-18T07:39:46Z")
“Peace in the Valley”… definitely. ---
**Author:** ![Catfood\_Purrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Catfood\_Purrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catfood_Purrito)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2006, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/18 "2006-03-18T09:48:51Z")
You’ll Never Walk Alone from Unearthed Volume III is quite pretty, or Singer of Songs if you don’t mind something a bit on the religious side, also on Unearthed Voume III. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/19 "2006-03-19T05:21:49Z")
Some more mellow Cash, all covers: \*\*Danny Boy The Streets of Laredo Give My Love to Rose Desperado In My Life \*\* ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mellow-johnny-cash-songs/348745/20 "2006-03-19T16:01:49Z")
Well, he did versions of **Father and Son** , **We’ll Meet Again** and **Redemption Song** , but I don’t think that’s quite what you’re after. I love You Because (You’re You) A Thing Called Love Bridge Over Troubled Water A Satisfied Mind I think you either have to pick the lyrics or the tune you like best- with Johnny Cash I don’t think you’re going to get everything you’re looking for in one song.