Here's something different for all of our TW supporters and detractors.
Apparently, our recent posting on Neil Young's Big Decision On Archives: Facebook and Social Responsibility seems to have hit a nerve somewhere. So thanks for all the great comments -- both supportive and otherwise. We've responded on the thread.
But onto something different.
Why a Johnny Cash video? Why choose "God's Gonna Cut You Down"? What's this got to do with Neil Young?
Take a look at this extremely popular 2:49 video from 2006 -- with 76,463,534 views + 24K comments -- and the answer should be self evident. There are a lot familiar and not so familiar faces. Some still with us, some who are no longer and have departed. Quite an impressive roster for a video by a dying man. Even Graham Nash appears at ~2:20.
Artists include (in order): Rick Rubin, Iggy Pop, Kanye West, Chris Martin, Kris Kristofferson, Patti Smith, Terence Howard, Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Q-Tip, Adam Levine (Maroon 5), Chris Rock, Justin Timberlake, Kate Moss, Sir Peter Blake (Sgt Peppers Artist), Sheryl Crow, Denis Hopper, Woody Harrelson, Amy Lee of Evanescence, Tommy Lee, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison, Martie Maguire (Dixie Chicks), Mick Jones, Sharon Stone, Bono, Shelby Lynne, Anthony Kiedis, Travis Barker, Lisa Marie Presley, Kid Rock, Jay Z, Keith Richards, Billy Gibbons, Corinne Bailey Rae, Johnny Depp, Graham Nash, Brian Wilson, Rick Rubin and Owen Wilson.
What we deal with here on TW on a daily basis is a very mild form persecution -- relatively speaking -- to what this video is all about. So, we'll just let this all play out in comments below for further discussion.
Lastly, there's a connection tying back to Neil Young's 2003 Greendale -- of course. Check Track #3.
"Well you may throw your rock and hide your hand
Workin' in the dark against your fellow man
But as sure as God made black and white
What's done in the dark will be brought to the light"
Lastly, we would be highly remiss in reminding everyone that Johnny and Neil go back -- way back to 1971.
God bless Johnny and all the children of destiny.
"God's Gonna Cut You Down"
ReplyDeleteJohnny Cash
You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler
The gambler
The back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Well my goodness gracious let me tell you the news
My head's been wet with the midnight dew
I've been down on bended knee talkin' to the man from Galilee
He spoke to me in the voice so sweet
I thought I heard the shuffle of the angel's feet
He called my name and my heart stood still
When he said, "John, go do my will!"
Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler
The gambler
The back biter
Tell 'em…
Odd thing about the dark is that it is so passive. Just a tiny bit of light can send the dark running for the corner. Everyone alive today just takes compartmentalization as the way things are done which makes the job of a passive dark so much easier. Secrecy builds fear and that is something the dark likes.
ReplyDeleteHowever, for some reason I don't fully understand, there is an integrity movement afoot that is shining a light on everything in every direction. Kind of upsetting times for many and what do we do with these twisted unpleasant dark ones when we find 'em?
"Unpleasantness has no value except to teach you that it has no value," I read recently on the 'net.
If you have Netflix a gentle suggestion would be to watch or re-watch Joseph Campbell's "The Power Of Myth" video now in 2018, that was filmed in 1988. When you are pleasant and "follow your bliss" synchronicity appears on your path in almost a trusted fashion.
https://www.nateliason.com/lessons/power-myth-joseph-campbell/
P.S. If you can situate your computer monitor to have an outside window as the backdrop do it. You may have a quarter turn to look outside but it is so much better if the outside is the backdrop. I've got a "crowd of hummingbirds" darting back and forth right in front of me that most likely I wouldn't see if I had to turn.
Thanks Jim. We knew you and others would "get" this.
ReplyDeleteAgree, there is a movement afoot shining a bright light into the darkness.
We'll check out "The Power Of Myth".
Keep on followin' your bliss!
namaste
Light a candle. Cash to me was the voice of God, not that he was God, of course. His was the voice that was as American as the soil our food is grown in. I collected his music and listened to it a lot. I still love it. So do my kids and my wife and probably most people I know. His albums on American Records were tremendously rich. Unchained features Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers as his band and is one of my all time favorites. When he covered Neil on the Unearthed box set, Heart of Gold and Pocahontas, it was really special. Former Red Hot Chili guitarist plays a crazy unique and wonderful solo on Heart of Gold which wisely avoids imitation of the original. These two Rock Gods are forever linked because of the covers. Neil must have flipped when Cash covered him, same as Chris Cornell with Rusty Cage, one of the most powerful rock recordings ever when Cash sings it. And Chris Cornell waits Like a Stone in a LA cemetery, but hopefully gigging in he sky as I write this.
ReplyDeleteI have been quite obsessed with politics since Bernie came along, until recently When a sea change occurred in me. It is a move towards the light that warms my heart now. Good timing! Peace. Alan in Seattle
Speaking off topic I read where a Trump supporter was beaten by the singer for Social Distortion because the fan gave him the finger over his remarks disparaging America and #45 https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2018/08/15/social-distortion-mike-ness-beating/amp/
ReplyDeleteMy ? what would NY do.
I never voted for Trump but I try to support our ( my) President and our country because I want the USA to be a better place for all of us. For my five children, all races, genders, the military, the police, legal immigrants, the environment I want this country to succeed. I’m from a flyover State not the East or West I’m what you might call a deplorable, a God loving gun owner(hunter). I’ve been a fan of NY now for 48 years love his music but hate his politics. So if I’m at his concert and he speaks his mind( his 1st amendment right) and I do likewise will he do the same as Mike Ness or will he honor my right to. As John Lennon sang once
You say you want a revolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know you can count me out
"I try to support our Prez. What an old fashioned, conformist, sheep-like mentality. The guy is the Devil, and he took over for the last Devil, Obama, who ran on Hope but really was George Bush Lite. He deported more than W Bush, dropped more bombs than W..... All you are doing is delaying righteous change when you wave your little flag. Endless War is what we get. They've got you right where they want you: docile, flaccid... no tesistance. Sorry to bring more awareness of the dark.... I am not done fighting yet.
ReplyDeleteNo Resistance.....
DeleteTimothy Fontenot, Regarding 'what would NY do' I'm confident he wouldn't call the guy to the stage to spit on him or jump into the crowd & beat on him. Surely you don't think so either, right?
ReplyDelete@ Alan - The word icon doesn't begin to capture The Man in Black.
ReplyDeleteThere's little doubt that Johnny & Neil have similar DNAs and are brothers from different mothers.
Cash's covers of Heart of Gold and Pocahontas really say it all. And no doubt Neil was highly honored by the tip of the hat.
Now has Neil covered a Johnny song?
@ Tim - yes, way off topic. Also, we're really having a hard time with your point and logic here? As PL Doc asked, you aren't suggesting that Neil would do something similar are you? But it sure seems that you are b/c if so, you know that's just being inflammatory and slanderous for no reason whatsoever.
So what was the real point of your sharing this?
btw, when isolated, semi-trivial events such as this occur and get blown way out of proportion, there's more to the picture than meets the eye. Like maybe this was all a big setup to get folks like yourself all stirred up over a big nothing?
"Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler
The gambler
The back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down"
Nice post, Tim
ReplyDeleteKeep on poking the Bear...
There is no bear. Just Us. Just one planet. Just one chance. Join us and be kind. We are all one species that must share this one planet.
ReplyDeleteMaybe not so “semi-trivial” to the guy who Ness pummeled for disagreeing with him...
ReplyDeleteThere is a Bear, Dan,
and it’s name is Intolerance....
God’s gonna cut ‘em down indeed...
ReplyDeleteIntolerance feeds on being poked.
ReplyDeleteOne can not reason with intolerance.
We can only lead by example and show intolerance leads only to death and darkness.
Be the change and the world will change.
Hitler didn’t feed “on being poked”
ReplyDeleteHe was stopped by being poked
Evil needs to be confronted in ALL its manifestations, whatever the color, religion, political orientation or philosophy
Evil is evil
Hitler was defeated by global unity. Nations coming together as one to stop the mass killing of innocent people. It's that kind of global unity I'm taking about.
ReplyDeleteAgree, brother, AGREE!
ReplyDelete