Studio Album · No. 38
The Mystery of Life 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 Mystery of Life was Johnny Cash's final album for Mercury Records, and he is the sole credited writer on five of its ten tracks: 'The Greatest Cowboy of Them All,' 'I'm an Easy Rider,' 'Hey Porter,' 'Beans for Breakfast,' and 'Angel and the Badman.' Two of those are re-recordings of his own classics, 'Hey Porter' (his 1955 Sun debut single) and the Bob Dylan co-write 'Wanted Man.' The remaining tracks are covers by John Prine ('The Hobo Song'), Tom T. Hall ('I'll Go Somewhere and Sing My Songs Again,' a duet with Hall), Joe Nixon (the title track), and Chester Lester ('Goin' by the Book').
The Mystery of Life is a 1991 country, country rock, and rockabilly album by Johnny Cash, released February 19 on Mercury Records and produced by Jack Clement. The record includes a re-recording of "Hey Porter," the Bob Dylan co-write "Wanted Man," the title track "The Mystery of Life," and "I'll Go Somewhere and Sing My Songs Again," a duet with Tom T. Hall. The album peaked at number 70 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, with "Goin' by the Book" as the only charting single at number 69. It was Cash's final Mercury release, and its poor sales prompted his departure from the label. Recorded at Cowboy Arms in Nashville, it was the last new studio album to feature longtime drummer W.S. "Fluke" Holland.
Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Mystery of Life
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Bob Moore | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 2 |
Hey Porter
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Bob Moore | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 3 |
Beans for Breakfast
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Bob Moore | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 4 |
Goin' by the Book
#69
|
Bucky JonesJune Carter Cash | Bucky JonesJune Carter Cash | Bob Moore | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 5 |
Wanted Man
|
Robert Allen Zimmermann | Robert Allen Zimmermann | Bob Moore | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 6 |
I'll Go Somewhere and Sing My Songs Again
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Bob Moore | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 7 |
The Greatest Cowboy of Them All
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Bob Moore | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 8 |
I'm an Easy Rider
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Bob Moore | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 9 |
Rock and Roll Shoes
|
Don SchlitzCraig Bickhardt | Don SchlitzCraig Bickhardt | Bob Moore | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |
| 10 |
The Hobo Song
|
Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Bob Moore | Johnny Cash (Lead Vocals) |