By Ron Powers

In 1958 the man in black, Johnny Cash, released a foot stomping hit song called “Big River”. The song peaked at number 4 on Billboard’s country charts and stayed on the charts for 14 weeks. With its bopping rhythm and melodic attitude, “Big River” has been welcomed through speakers, headphones, and radio airwaves for more than half a century. But enough preamble: Let’s delve into a country classic that helped define country music in the 1950s and continues to inspire artists from multiple genres to this day.

“Big River” begins with the twang of Luther Perkins plucking out a catchy little guitar lick on his Fender Telecaster. Johnny Cash answers Perkins’ lead guitar picking with shuffling acoustic guitar strumming. These two elements combined to create the unique and head bobbing rhythm of the song. Additionally, Marshall Grant’s stand-up bass playing provides both a smooth low end to the mix as well as percussion created by striking the bass strings in a style that makes a clicking sound on the fretboard. The musical textures created by the twang of the electric guitar, jangle of the acoustic guitar, and low end of the bass also play a key role in the charm of “Big River”. But, as is the case with so many country songs, the large portion of appeal is found in the story the lyrics tell.

Johnny Cash begins the story of “Big River” with the lines: “I taught the weeping willow how to cry / And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky”. With a melody that projects an upbeat feeling and lyrics that express the pain of heartbreak, “Big River” quickly found, and continues to find, a place in the hearts of millions. The song’s combination of rhythm, melody, and lyrics puts a spring in your step while simultaneously extending commiseration to anyone going through tough times. A final shine and sparkle is added to the sound of “Big River” through a 1950s tape echo applied to Cashes vocals.

Composed of just three verse sections and a few musical turnarounds, “Big River” comes in at just a hair over two minutes and thirty seconds. Without a chorus the main hook of the song is provided by its repetitive music and melody lines that wind up and round off like perfect circles. The simplicity of three instruments, a single vocal, and a great song come together on “Big River” to give the world an experience of immeasurable value. A value that continues to expand with every passing year.

Johnny Cash entered through the pearly gates in 2003 and left behind one of the most beloved musical legacies of all time. Although his presence is missed here on earth, we still have the songs he left behind: over 1,500 of them. If you’d like to listen to “Big River” or any of the many great songs by Johnny Cash, you can find them on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and most other places music is streamed or sold. If you’d like to learn more about Johnny Cash, you can find information on Wikipedia, johnnycash.com., or the books that have been written about him.

About the Author: Ron Powers is an independent A&R specialist and music industry consultant and is constantly searching for, discovering and writing about new talent.