Johnny Cash: God's Gonna Cut You Down by Mason Frost
You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
-
Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler,
The gambler,
The back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
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Well my goodness gracious let me tell you the news
My head's been wet with the midnight dew
I've been down on bended knee talkin' to the man from Galilee
He spoke to me in the voice so sweet
I thought I heard the shuffle of the angel's feet
He called my name and my heart stood still
When he said, "John go do My will!"
-
Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler,
The gambler,
The back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
-
You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
-
Well you may throw your rock and hide your hand
Workin' in the dark against your fellow man
But as sure as God made black and white
What's down in the dark will be brought to the light
-
You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
-
Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler,
The gambler,
The back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut you down
"God's Gonna Cut You Down," is a very old folk song that has been recorded by numerous artists, but usually it was recorded in the gospel version. When Johnny Cash put his own style on the song it became very popular selling 672,000 copies and still continues to sell this day.
The main theme of the song is very evident in the song lyrics, sang as the refrain is "You can run on for a long time... sooner or later God'll cut you down". It means you may escape death for a time but sooner or later you will die and have to face god's judgement. The second verse of the refrain is saying who the warning is to, the sinners IE "the ramblers, the gamblers, the back biters," etc.
Now the third verse is a reference "bended knee" means he was praying to " the man from Galilee" AKA Jesus. He describes his experience and finally Jesus "go do my will" is go God's will.
Stanza six is a another reference to the bible. It reads "Well you may throw your rock" reminding us of Jesus's teaching "he has not sinned may cast the first stone'. Then the rest of the stanza is again just saying what the refrain says; those who sin, deeds "done in the dark will be brought to the light".
