Studio Album · No. 42
The Man Comes Around Songwriting Credits by Johnny Cash
Produced by Rick Rubin · Engineered by David Ferguson
Holds writing credit on 3 of 15 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 3 / 15 documented
Scored across the 15 tracks with documented writers, by whether Johnny Cash carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 15 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Awards & Recognition 3
American IV is the most celebrated entry in Rick Rubin's series, anchored by Cash's devastating cover of Nine Inch Nails' 'Hurt,' written by Trent Reznor. The record also covers Depeche Mode's 'Personal Jesus' (written by Martin Gore), Sting's 'I Hung My Head,' Hank Williams' 'I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry,' Simon and Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water,' and the Beatles' 'In My Life.' Cash himself wrote the apocalyptic title track 'The Man Comes Around,' plus re-recorded his own 'Give My Love to Rose' and 'Tear Stained Letter.' The 'Hurt' music video became one of the most acclaimed videos of the era.
The Man Comes Around is the sixty-seventh studio album by Johnny Cash, released in November 2002 on American Recordings, the final album of original recordings Cash completed before his death in September 2003, and the album that contains his cover of Nine Inch Nails' 'Hurt,' one of the most celebrated music videos ever made. Cash wrote the title track, 'The Man Comes Around,' a biblical narrative drawn from the Book of Revelation that Cash worked on for years and considered one of his most important compositions, alongside a set of covers that includes 'Hurt' (Nine Inch Nails), 'Desperado' (Eagles), 'Personal Jesus' (Depeche Mode), 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' (Paul Simon), and 'We'll Meet Again' (Vera Lynn). Trent Reznor has said that Cash's video interpretation of 'Hurt', directed by Mark Romanek and featuring Cash at age 70 surrounded by the physical detritus of a long life, supplanted his own original as the definitive version of the song; the video won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography and was nominated for Video of the Year. Cash died on September 12, 2003, four months after the death of his wife June Carter Cash, making The Man Comes Around a genuine farewell document of a career spanning five decades. The album reached number 22 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified double platinum in the United States; 'Hurt' remains one of the most streamed and viewed recordings in Cash's entire catalog.
Track Listing & Credits 15 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Man Comes Around
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Rick Rubin | Johnny Cash (Vocals, Guitar) |
| 2 |
Hurt
#33
|
Trent Reznor | Trent Reznor | Rick Rubin | Johnny Cash (Vocals, Guitar) |
| 3 |
Give My Love to Rose
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Rick Rubin | Johnny Cash (Vocals, Guitar) |
| 4 |
Bridge Over Troubled Water
|
Paul Simon | Paul Simon | Rick Rubin | Johnny Cash (Vocals, Guitar) |
| 5 |
I Hung My Head
|
Sting | Sting | Rick Rubin | Johnny Cash (Vocals, Guitar) |
| 6 |
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
|
Ewan MacColl | Ewan MacColl | Rick Rubin | Johnny Cash (Vocals, Guitar) |
| 7 |
Personal Jesus
|
Martin Gore | Martin Gore | Rick Rubin | Johnny Cash (Vocals, Guitar) |
| 8 |
In My Life
|
John LennonPaul McCartney | John LennonPaul McCartney | Rick Rubin | Johnny Cash (Vocals, Guitar) |
| 9 |
Sam Hall
|
Tex Ritter | Tex Ritter | Rick Rubin | Johnny Cash (Vocals, Guitar) |
| 10 |
Danny Boy
|
Frederic Weatherly | Traditional | Rick Rubin | Johnny Cash (Vocals, Guitar) |
| 11 |
Desperado
|
Don HenleyGlenn Frey | Don HenleyGlenn Frey | Rick Rubin | Johnny Cash (Vocals, Guitar) |
| 12 |
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
|
Hank Williams | Hank Williams | Rick Rubin | Johnny Cash (Vocals, Guitar) |
| 13 |
Tear Stained Letter
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Rick Rubin | Johnny Cash (Vocals, Guitar) |
| 14 |
Streets of Laredo
|
Traditional | Traditional | Rick Rubin | Johnny Cash (Vocals, Guitar) |
| 15 |
We'll Meet Again
|
Ross ParkerHughie Charles | Ross ParkerHughie Charles | Rick Rubin | Johnny Cash (Vocals, Guitar) |