"What is Truth" - a song from 1972 by Johnny Cash

[ConsAreLiars]

He was one of the great truthtelling troubadours, up there with both Guthries, Seager, Ochs, Lennon and many more. Mike Webb played it on his show tonight (http://stream.mikewebb.org:8001/listen.pls - it is now over but reruns for a while). I had not heard it before, and thought it was worth sharing. Something for the righties among us to think about.

Here's a Kid Rock reprise on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PommbsID6nY

What is Truth, by Johnny Cash

The old man turned off the radio
Said, "Where did all of the old songs go
Kids sure play funny music these days
They play it in the strangest ways"
Said, "it looks to me like they've all gone wild
It was peaceful back when I was a child"
Well, man, could it be that the girls and boys
Are trying to be heard above your noise?
And the lonely voice of youth cries "What is truth?"

A little boy of three sittin' on the floor
Looks up and says, "Daddy, what is war?"
"son, that's when people fight and die"
The little boy of three says "Daddy, why?"
A young man of seventeen in Sunday school
Being taught the golden rule
And by the time another year has gone around
It may be his turn to lay his life down
Can you blame the voice of youth for asking
"What is truth?"

A young man sittin' on the witness stand
The man with the book says "Raise your hand"
"Repeat after me, I solemnly swear"
The man looked down at his long hair
And although the young man solemnly swore
Nobody seems to hear anymore
And it didn't really matter if the truth was there
It was the cut of his clothes and the length of his hair
And the lonely voice of youth cries
"What is truth?"

The young girl dancing to the latest beat
Has found new ways to move her feet
The young man speaking in the city square
Is trying to tell somebody that he cares
Yeah, the ones that you're calling wild
Are going to be the leaders in a little while
This old world's wakin' to a new born day
And I solemnly swear that it'll be their way
You better help the voice of youth find
"What is truth?"

[MnFats]

1. course...that's what Pontius Pilate said to Jesus Christ..

...just before sending him to be crucified...

[Elwood P Dowd]

2. I so wish Johnny and June were still around

to sing for us.

:cry:

[ConsAreLiars]

3. Indeed. They brought the best of our (we, the people) heritage

into the next generation. The Carter family was one important part of it, - not explicitly political in words but being very much "of the people." And Cash was very much a champion of the underclass - the Folsom Prison Blues spoke to you and me and made it clear that the incarcerated were a part of us. There is a YouTube video here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-KR6rv3TXM

(edit to give a better link)