Studio Album · No. 26
The Last Gunfighter Ballad Songwriting Credits by Johnny Cash
Holds writing credit on 7 of 10 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 7 / 10 documented
Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether Johnny Cash carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
The album is built mostly around outside material, with Johnny Cash contributing four of his own compositions: 'Ridin' on the Cotton Belt,' 'City Jail,' 'Cindy, I Love You,' and 'Ballad of Barbara.' The title track is a Guy Clark song, and the record leans heavily on writers like Tom T. Hall ('Give It Away'), Mac Davis ('You're So Close to Me'), and Jack Wesley Routh ('I Will Dance With You'). Cash closes the record with the Gene Autry and Jimmy Long standard 'Silver Haired Daddy of Mine,' a nod to the singing-cowboy tradition.
The Last Gunfighter Ballad is a 1977 country and outlaw country album by Johnny Cash, released in January on Columbia Records and produced by Charlie Bragg with Cash himself. The title track, written by Guy Clark, tells the story of an aging gunslinger unable to adjust to the modern world. The record also includes "Far Side Banks of Jordan," a duet with June Carter Cash about meeting again after death, and "That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine," featuring his brother Tommy Cash. The album reached number 29 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, while the title single peaked at number 38 on the country singles chart. Recorded at House of Cash Studios in Hendersonville, Tennessee, it combined previously unreleased material with re-recordings from the mid-1970s.
Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
I Will Rock and Roll with You
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Charlie BraggLarry Butler | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 2 |
The Last Gunfighter Ballad
#38
|
Guy Clark | Guy Clark | Charlie BraggLarry Butler | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 3 |
Far Side Banks of Jordan
|
Terry Smith | Terry Smith | Charlie BraggLarry Butler | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 4 |
Ridin' on the Cotton Belt
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Charlie BraggLarry Butler | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 5 |
That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine
|
Gene AutryJimmy Long | Gene AutryJimmy Long | Charlie BraggLarry Butler | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 6 |
Give It Away
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Charlie BraggLarry Butler | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 7 |
City Jail
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Charlie BraggLarry Butler | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 8 |
Cindy, I Love You
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Charlie BraggLarry Butler | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 9 |
After Taxes
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Charlie BraggLarry Butler | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 10 |
Hit the Road and Go
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Charlie BraggLarry Butler | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |