Johnny Cash – Drive On

People forget Johnny Cash was a veteran himself (USAF) and he was one of the FEW country artists who publicly criticized the Vietnam War when that was NOT a popular position. Perhaps his most personal song “Man In Black” which he wrote himself as he did this song, has the line ” I wear the black in mournin’ for the lives that could have been, Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.” direct reference to the Vietnam dead. Cash was a veteran, and didn’t see combat, but certainly saw a lot of premature death in his life. He had the balls to speak out when almost no one in Nashville did, and he got a TON of flack for it, it severely hurt his career. But that was the great character of Johnny Cash. He was a walking contradiction, but was always himself. And he never pretended to be anything less than honest, even when standing up for the little guy made him lose fans, paychecks, or popularity.