Johnny Cash And Willie Nelson Live Will Have Viewers Calling For More

Aug 21, 2020

Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash will forever be remembered at two of the top legends of country music. A video of the duo performing a classic duet will ensure no one ever forgets how magnetic the two were on stage.

Johnny Cash passed away in 2003 after a legendary run as a top country singer. Well into his 80s, Willie Nelson still remains active on the country music scene. Many years ago, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson took to the stage to sing Ghost Riders in the Sky together.

Johnny Cash released a solo version of Ghost Riders in the Sky on one of his LPs, but it is not one of his original songs. The song has been covered by scores of country singers and many musicians outside the country scene. Even a heavy metal version of the song exists. The original singer did not come from the country-western genre at all. Burl Ives recorded the first version in 1949. Since the song deals with an "old cowboy," the shift to the country-western genre proved natural.

Ghost Riders in the Sky reflects a cautionary tale. According to Songfacts, songwriter Stan Jones came up with a song about a sinful cowboy who noticed ghostly cattle riding across the sky. Chasing the cattle are the ghosts of cowboys. The cowboys, condemned to Hades, must chase the "Devil's herd" forever in the sky. They'll never catch the herd, but they'll continue to chase them for eternity.

The old cowboy looks at the ghostly herd from his perch on the desert's ground. A ghostly cowboy warns him that chasing the "Devil's herd" will be his fate unless he changes his ways. We never know if the cowboy took the advice.

Singers perform the song in various ways. Upbeat, fast-paced versions focus on the instruments and arrangement. In such versions, the lyrics and their meaning become lost. The Ives and Cash versions slow the tempo down and allow the lyrics to come through.

Cash and Nelson performed the song together at the Nassau Coliseum in 1990, and this video might be from that performance. The duet version comes off as much different from other covers. Nelson starts the song in a more upbeat manner. The music supporting his vocals has an upbeat, as opposed to haunting, touch. Once Cash begins singing, the song drifts closer to its more ominous side. Cash's incredible voice was famous for its ability to drive emotion.

When both men sing at the same time, there's a sad melancholy that comes out. Cash follows through by adding sadness to words about the tortured ghost riders who can never stop traveling the devil's skies. Willie Nelon then jumps in to sing his verses, and the song's tone becomes more adventurous. A humorous aside plays out at one point. Willie Nelson sings the line where the ghost riders call out the old cowboy's name. Johnny Cash quips, "Merle Haggard."

The line probably gets some laughs from long-time country fans who hear it. And Merle Haggard is on the stage with the two singers playing an instrument. Off to the side, so is Kris Kristofferson. The concert was a memorable one featuring numerous legends. What makes the performance so special is how the two singers keep the song's cautionary style in place. The original meaning never goes away, which allows the song to retain its power.

Do you know someone who loves country music, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash? If so, then they'd probably enjoy seeing this video. Many people would.