A short time ago I published a list of contemporary blues songs I personally like the best but I haven’t heard this version of ‘God’s Gonna Cut You Down’ by Johnny Cash, so it wasn’t on my list. This article is sort of an appendix to that list. Just yesterday, a friend and fellow musician Guru Hare played me the video for the song on Youtube. I was immediately uplifted by Cash’s performance and his take on this oldie, which is usually sung in a gospel arrangement. But Johnny turned it into a deep, soul trembling blues, calling for justice upon all sinners, with the voice of an ultimate sinner who has made peace with himself.
"God's Gonna Cut You Down," also known as "Run On" and "Run On for a Long Time," is a traditional folk song that addresses the sinners, telling them that no matter how hard they try, they will not avoid God's judgment. The song has, over time, been modified to fit the boundaries of diverse genres like country, folk, gospel, even techno, but this bluesy version by Johnny Cash, at least for me, sounds more suggestive and profound than any other version before this. Other notable interpretations of the song include those of Odetta, Elvis Presley, and more recently, Moby. Johnny Cash’s variant was released posthumously on “American V: A Hundred Highways” in 2003, selling more than 700.000 in the United States so far.
This video you’re watching in the background, directed by Tony Kaye, was made in late 2006, three years after Cash's death. The video was shot entirely in black and white and features a number of celebrities. Producer Rick Rubin opens the music video, saying, “You know, Johnny always wore black. He wore black because he identified with the poor and the downtrodden…”. What follows is a collection of black and white clips of well-known pop artists wearing black, each interacting with the song in their own way, some using religious imagery. Rick Rubin is followed by Iggy Pop, Kanye West, Chris Martin, Kris Kristofferson, Patti Smith, Terrence Howard, Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Q-Tip, Adam Levine (Maroon 5), Chris Rock, Justin Timberlake, Kate Moss, Sir Peter Blake (Sgt Peppers Artist), Sheryl Crow, Dennis Hopper, Woody Harrelson, Amy Lee of Evanescence, Tommy Lee, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison, Martie Maguire (Dixie Chicks), Mick Jones, Sharon Stone, Bono, Shelby Lynne, Anthony Kiedis, Travis Barker, Lisa Marie Presley, Kid Rock, Jay-Z, Keith Richards, Billy Gibbons, Corinne Bailey Rae, Johnny Depp, Graham Nash, Brian Wilson, Rick Rubin and Owen Wilson. The video finishes with Rick Rubin traveling to a seaside cliff with friend Owen Wilson to throw a bouquet of flowers up in the air. It also briefly features archive footage of Cash himself.
The video won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video.
