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heartwurm's review against another edition
3.75
The poems are good, written in the usual storytelling style of his music. A lot of them feel like they could’ve been songs or might’ve been songs ind development, especially with the rhyme couplings that’s present in most of the work.
clownfishstix's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
5.0
as somebody who really was trying to get into Johnny Cash's music, this was a really good forward to understanding Johnny Cash as a man and an artist. you can see how in some of the poems he was very much the man in Black and then in some of the poems he was very much a man of God. I think it showed the duality of him as a man really well.
mandypandyrox's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
stormymonday's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
minimallibrary's review against another edition
my favourite part of johnny cash’s music was the words, so to read his words was great
novelesque_life's review against another edition
3.0
FOREVER WORDS: THE UNKNOWN POEMS
Written by Johnny Cash and Edited by Paul Muldoon
2016; 144 Pages (Blue Rider Press)
Genre: poetry, songwriter, nonfiction
★★★
Since I was a kid I have been listening to Johnny Cash via my dad. It wasn't until I saw the movie Walk the Line that I came to appreciate Cash's talent. He wasn't only a singer and entertainer but a creative artist. He wrote many of his songs which always sound like poetry and most have a message. I was excited to see that there were publishing a collection of poetry written by Cash. The poems were written from 1950s to 2003 (his death). I liked this collection, and there were a few poems that I loved, but a big chunk of the book is his son's preface and Muldoon's introduction. I would recommend this book to fans of Johnny Cash's songwriting and words.
***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***
My Novelesque Life
Written by Johnny Cash and Edited by Paul Muldoon
2016; 144 Pages (Blue Rider Press)
Genre: poetry, songwriter, nonfiction
★★★
Since I was a kid I have been listening to Johnny Cash via my dad. It wasn't until I saw the movie Walk the Line that I came to appreciate Cash's talent. He wasn't only a singer and entertainer but a creative artist. He wrote many of his songs which always sound like poetry and most have a message. I was excited to see that there were publishing a collection of poetry written by Cash. The poems were written from 1950s to 2003 (his death). I liked this collection, and there were a few poems that I loved, but a big chunk of the book is his son's preface and Muldoon's introduction. I would recommend this book to fans of Johnny Cash's songwriting and words.
***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***
My Novelesque Life
jbmorgan86's review against another edition
3.0
Earlier this school year (after Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for literature), I had my eighth grade honors students debate the question, "Is there a difference between poetry and song lyrics?" Furthermore, I asked them if they could tell the difference if they read them on a page. The consensus was "yes," there is a difference and yes, one can tell the difference is (usually) pretty clear.
I was reminded of that discussion as I read through this collection of Johnny Cash "poems." It is clear that most (if not all) were intended to be put to music. Once they are put to music, they take on a life of their own. Therefore, it is hard to judge these lyrics. Some are quite entertaining (such as the biting "I Wish You a Merry Christmas") but something is missing: that typical boom-chicka-boom-chicka.
I was reminded of that discussion as I read through this collection of Johnny Cash "poems." It is clear that most (if not all) were intended to be put to music. Once they are put to music, they take on a life of their own. Therefore, it is hard to judge these lyrics. Some are quite entertaining (such as the biting "I Wish You a Merry Christmas") but something is missing: that typical boom-chicka-boom-chicka.