Studio Album · No. 16
From Sea to Shining Sea Songwriting Credits by Johnny Cash
Holds writing credit on 12 of 12 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 12 / 12 documented
Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Johnny Cash carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
This is a concept album entirely written by Johnny Cash, an unusual feat for a 1968 country LP, where covers and outside writers were the norm. All twelve tracks are Cash originals, framed as a geographic song cycle bookended by the title track and its brief finale. 'The Walls of a Prison' reuses the melody of 'Streets of Laredo' from his 1965 album Sings the Ballads of the True West. Because it was built as an album-length narrative, none of the tracks were issued as singles.
"From Sea to Shining Sea" is a 1968 country and folk concept album by Johnny Cash, released on Columbia Records and produced by Don Law and Frank Jones. Every track was written by Cash, with songs such as the title piece, "Call Daddy from the Mines," "The Walls of a Prison," and "Cisco Clifton's Filling Station" painting portraits of American regions and characters. Cash was backed by Carl Perkins and Luther Perkins on guitar, Marshall Grant on bass, and W.S. Holland on drums, with Bob Johnson on banjo and dobro, Charlie McCoy on harmonica, and the Carter Family on backing vocals. None of the tracks were issued as singles, marking the album as a cohesive artistic statement rather than a singles vehicle. The album was later collected in a Bear Family box set.
Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
From Sea to Shining Sea
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Bob Johnston | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 2 |
The Whirl and the Suck
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Bob Johnston | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 3 |
Call Daddy from the Mine
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Bob Johnston | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 4 |
The Frozen Four-Hundred-Pound Fair-to-Middlin' Cotton Picker
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Bob Johnston | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 5 |
The Walls of a Prison
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Bob Johnston | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 6 |
The Masterpiece
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Bob Johnston | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 7 |
You and Tennessee
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Bob Johnston | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 8 |
Another Song to Sing
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Bob Johnston | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 9 |
The Flint Arrowhead
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Bob Johnston | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 10 |
Cisco Clifton's Fillin' Station
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Bob Johnston | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 11 |
Shrimpin' Sailin'
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Bob Johnston | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 12 |
From Sea to Shining Sea (Finale)
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Bob Johnston | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |