47 thoughts on “that train keeps rollin’”

1. LOL!!! That is so funny Wil! I can just picture the two inmates cheering.
   Hope all is going well for you… I’ve got my fingers crossed!

2. Cash rocks hard. He’s also one of the only country singers I can stand. His music is haunting and magical and always drums up images in my mind. Kind of like your writing Wil. 😉 He was a true artist, and so are you.

3. Who doesn’t love JCash? Even his later work with Reznor, et al, was fantastic, the man was simply amazing.

4. There was a program on NPR about that album. They said that the cheers and such were added in post production. In reality, the audience was mostly quiet (with awe) during the concert.

5. Yeah, and folks in LA always request ‘old el paso’ on KZLA’s request hour.
   Country music is life,
   and not as in a 5-10 yr sentance,
   yet offense is in the eyes of the offended.

6. It’s hard to go wrong with Johnny Cash. Just look at his career — over the course of five decades, he essentially reinvented himself and reached a new fanbase every decade or so. The work he did with American Recordings in the few years before he died was absolutely brilliant.

7. Love… is a burning thing,
   and it makes… a fiery ring.
   I bounce around like an idiot whenever I hear that song.
   And hearing his version of Hurt still makes me teary. ~sniffle~ Apparently it even works when I hear it in my head. FIE ON YOU, EARWORMS!!
   Whoa. End tangent.

8. Love… is a burning thing,
   and it makes… a fiery ring.
   I bounce around like an idiot whenever I hear that song.
   And hearing his version of Hurt still makes me teary. ~sniffle~ Apparently it even works when I hear it in my head. FIE ON YOU, EARWORMS!!
   Whoa. End tangent.

9. A soft chuckle escapes my throat as I frown in wonder. What the heck does teh mean?

10. I love Johnny Cash mostly because my Grandfather does so much. Whenever I hear Johnny I think about Papaw.

11. Ok I’ve got to ask what does teh mean? Its driving me NUTS!!!
    I love JC too everytime I hear ring of fire I think of a hemorrhoid commercial. 😉

12. What the hell’s wrong with you? No, seriously. And I need to know what’s up with “teh.” I saw that you were putting out an audiobook and I thought that someone was supposed to catch typos.Anyways, love your work.

13. Heh. I played ‘Ring of Fire’ on the jukebox while I was having breakfast last Sunday.
    And ‘teh’ is Internet geek-speak for ‘the’. For example:
    Country music is teh suxxor5!!!111one!!
    translates to
    Country music sucks.
    You can read all about it on teh Intarweb.

14. I agree. I don’t like a lot of Johnny Cash but he separated himself from the pack. He rocks.

15. johnny cash does fucking rock.

16. From the WikiPedia:In the online slang known as Leet, it is deliberately used in place of the, and often spelled with a numeral 3 in place of e. Teh and t3h are the traditional spellings of the in the phrase “ph33r t3h …” (Fear the…).
    Besides being an alternate spelling of the, teh also has grammatical properties not generally applied to the. It can be used with proper names, as in “teh John”; compare the usage of the definite article in Greek: ο Ιωαννης (o Ioannes), literally “the John”. A similar usage comes from German, where the definite article is used as a specifier to modify the noun: “Der Johann”, again literally, “the John”, could be used to identify John, and not Phil, as the subject performing a certain action.
    Furthermore, teh is sometimes used in front of a verb, turning it into a species of compound noun chain. The best-known example of this is the word suck. Thus, the phrase this sucks can be converted into this is teh suck; the word pwn can be similarly converted (teh pwn). The above phrases are primarily used by the gaming community, and often intended humorously.
    So that’s what the hell is wrong with me. I have a sense of humor. Okay?

17. Cash is one of my favs too. 🙂
    Hey, Wil, did you know that Joaquin Phoenix is portraying Cash in a movie called “Walk The Line.” It is out this Nov. 🙂 What is your take on that?

18. I don’t consider Cash as country, he transends styles which in and off itself makes him deserving of the title of Classic.

19. When I was 8 and my brother was 7 he was obsessed with Johnny Cash. I learned to love his music because it was ALWAYS playing. What a sight we must’ve been – a couple of little kids singing “Sugar in the Morning ….” or the aforementioned Folsom Prison Blues.

20. Don’t be dissin’ inmate A39879. That boy done paid his dues, yo.

21. I love Johnny Cash. Not as much as my cousin though. He went to the funeral. He sat with Dwight Yokum. I don’t know whether to be proud of his ingenuity or embarrassed that he crashed a funeral.
    Off topic, I was blessed with food poisoning yesterday and got to listen to “Just a Geek” from beginning to end when I called in sick from work. I must say – excellent! I laughed and cried. Great stories, Wil. I can’t wait for “Dancing Barefoot” to come out.
    Yes blessed. I’m trying to look on the bright side.

22. Sorry to double post but I literally sat and blinked at the screen, trying to comprehend what that explanation meant. I even read it out loud…twice. Gamer talk for the word “the”? My husband plays “World Of Warcraft” (i like to call it “Neglect Your Newlywed Wife For Days On End) and spouts a bunch of gamer-speak when telling me about his latest raid/battle/whatever. Don’t understand him either. This is what I hear when he starts talking about that FUCKING…that game.
    “Blah blah blah, didn’t mow the lawn, blah blah. Cool huh?”
    I blink a few times. When his face starts to fall, losing the little-boy excitement because I didn’t comprehend a word of what he’d said, I smile and say, “That’s awesome!”
    “I KNOW!” he says happily and all is right in the Robinson household once again.
    But it means the. It’s all clear now. Cool.

23. Alison: Two points.
    1) Wil is blessed with a stunningly talented editor, who is able to fix his typos — and, more important, recognize when they aren’t typos at all. (The STE didn’t get final cut on Just A Geek, which is why he cringed a few times while reading it, but that’s another, darker tale.)
    2) Typos don’t really matter in audiobooks.
    Thanks for your comments. 🙂

24. My friend Stevo used to blurt out random and usually disturbing statements in mixed company just to make people squirm. “I once shot a man just to watch him die” was one of his favorites, especially if the crowd he was trying to disturb was not likely to have ever heard Folsom Prison Blues.

25. I grew up listening to Cash, but also George Jones, Glen Campbell, and all those old school country guys. The thing I really appreciate about Cash is that he’s country without feeling like hick country. There’s a strong rock element/influence in his music, as well as undercurrents of blues. His cover of “Hurt” sent chills through me, but “I Walk The Line” is a favorite.

26. Johnny Cash rules. We are ALL his secret love children. Deal.

27. Okay, 5 points:
    1. WooHoo!! Wil answered my post!! Sweet.
    2. The “What the hell…?” was in reference to the final paragraph. The whole inmate thing. Really, how does he come up with scenarios like that? I only ask cause it not only caught me by surprise but it made me laugh my ass off after I read and reread it.
    3. Yes, typos DO matter when it’s THE FREAKIN’ TITLE.
    4. Thank you for clearing up the whole “geek-speak” thing. For everyone’s information, some of us are not that tech fluent.
    And Finally:
    5. Wil, thank you for sharing your incredible sense of humor, experiences, thoughts and feelings with us. Your site brightens my day everytime I stop by to check on you.

28. Hi Wil – Just wanted to say that I have been reading your site for a couple of weeks now and am completely in love with it! Great writing and stories that bring back memories. (In fact, I have been spending the last two weeks reading your archives)
    I also love Johnny Cash and am sorry that he is gone from us but I do know that he is with God and is happy.
    Thanks for your site and thanks for listening! 🙂

29. “Every man knows he’s a sissy compared to Johnny Cash.” – Bono
    I think that says it all.

30. im a huge fan of country, and Cash is definitly one of the best of the best. glad you have good taste Wil. i’m proud of you. *laugh* just make sure you stay so adorable and sweet. (which i’m pretty sure that’s not going to be a problem.) cause you’re soo cute! can’t wait to read your next blog. so get started!
    *hugs and kisses* comin your way!
    Laney

31. cash was my first concert. i still proudly display the photo he and june carter signed for me when i wrote them (at age 6) to tell johnny how much i loved him. i listened to all my cash albums (mostly, the vinyl i stole from my dad when i left home, with a few recent cds thrown in — i do adore his cover of “one.”) the day he died.
    *takes off the oingo boingo to play some old johnny* peace — rie

32. ahhhh…gotta love The Man In Black…we’re a Johnny Cash family in my house. also love the other Bad Boys of Country. you know, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson…*kills tangent* i love Solitary Man, Ring of Fire, Hurt, and I Walk The Line. great, great man Cash was…

33. Thats great, Wil. I love Johnny as well! Folsom County Blues is one of my favorite songs, along with Boy named Sue and Personal Jesus. He was an amazing man.
    🙂 Have a nice day,
    Lynne

34. I second-hand smoked two packs of unfiltered cigarettes as I made my way past them…
    it’s lines like this that make me keep reading. That and your sense of humour and keen eye. *shivers*

35. Wil, there’s a terrific book by Michael Streissguth about the making of the Folsom Prison recording.
    Titled “Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison: The Making of a Masterpiece,” it’s packed with hundreds of B/W photos from the show. Amazon has it here, but I picked up a clean used copy for $4 on half.com. It’s cool to see what Glenn Sherley and Luther (who is referred to as an in-joke several times during the show) actually look like.
    For my money, “Cocaine Blues” is just a damned good listen. Cash was harder than most modern rappers could ever dream of…and it showed.

36. I bow at the altar of Johnny Cash. It doesn’t matter if he’s country or even a little bit rock and roll, every syllable resonates like it speaks the truth of his entire being. But I must share a word of warning: Cash can open the door to other country artists, particularly the Outlaws.
    At one point, I was just like you – didn’t like country per se, but had a soft spot for old Three-Chord Johnny. Then it was Johnny and Willie. And Patsy Cline, of course. Oh, and Merle. And David Allen Coe. And Waylan. And Hank Williams – but only the original. Except then I kind of got into the call-and-response chorus of “It’s a Family Tradition,” which is when I started to like Hank Williams, Jr.
    So beware, or the next thing you know, you’ll find yourself belly up to a dank bar, charming the bartender for an extra splash of Jack over ice, singing along with a tinny jukebox that only plays Alan Jackson’s “Gone Country.”

37. Good explanation of teh. JC is undoubtedly is teh roxx0r~/_

38. The thing I really appreciate about Cash is that he’s country without feeling like hick country. There’s a strong rock element/influence in his music, as well as undercurrents of blues. His cover of “Hurt” sent chills through me, but “I Walk The Line” is a favorite.

39. Thank you everyone for explaining the “teh” It’s pretty much what I figured I just needed to make sure. Wil I hope I didn’t piss you off I was just curious. 😉

40. Hello, been lurking here for awhile, and finally decided to comment.
    I have always thought that Johnny Cash (Legend)’s middle name should be fucking. Why?
    Because he’s Johnny Fucking Cash.

41. As far as I’m concerned, Trent Reznor can never sing “Hurt” again. Johnny Cash totally owns that song now. Doesn’t matter that he’s dead; he took the song right along with him. It leaves me in tears every time I hear it.
    And, from the same album, his cover of “Personal Jesus” is very good…it’s close to the same guitar arrangement as the original DM acoustic version, but with a little more honky-tonk flavor thrown in.

42. Live at Folsom is a staple in my car.
    And I play it LOUD.
    With the windows rolled DOWN.
    In LA.
    In my car that I built “one piece at a time.”
    I get plenty of nasty gazes and rolled eyes from snooty drivers wrapped in their Snob-Vehicles-De-Germany.
    Me loves it.

43. good las vegas music. when you are down and out in teh west, you can relate to that sort of blues.
    That was a typo.
    i do say, my MUDding years come in handy around gamers. (it wasnt no sissy girl MUD neither!) i frequently “fear” things and when something is sick powerful, it is BS.
    so unladylike! but hey, i wasnt any good at it, i just liked to chat. helped me in my current career as a web developer, too, using UNIX to code stuff in the MUD. JC is good to listen to while coding. because coding is boring.

44. I’ve never “got” Johnny Cash. Meh, country music is country music. I’ll lump it in with gangster rap and The Godfather movies which glorify crap. Just my opinion.

45. So what about the guy who was shot in Reno? He could have been an innocent father at a convenience store picking up diapers or a quart of milk to take home after a long day of work. Some loser pulls up and shoots him just because he wanted a thrill. Yet you get some sort of sick thrill out of the inmates cheering a murder? Trash like that is in prison for a reason and shouldn’t be celebrated or entertained. Think about it Wil.

46. craigg, i reckon he was some varmit what needed killin’. cash is just being modest.
    “i shot a man in reno just to watch him die. well, not really. but i’ve been to reno.” – some soapboxer. visit http://www.tehsoapbox.net, hang out with people who met via wil, although it’s sorta wandered off from there.

47. I love Johnny soooo much that I have a black & white photo(circa 1965 or so) of him as my avatar on P. Stars, and frequently listen to a Greatest Hits album (circa 1973) whilst I play…

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