Any fans of My Name Is Earl out there? Karma recently dropped something good in my lap. Specifically Karma gave me the deluxe edition of the Johnny Cash Unearthed box set.

For those unfamiliar with this opus, it’s a five-CD set. One CD is a best-of drawn from the American Recordings albums. The other four CDs are previously unreleased recordings from those sessions. The deluxe edition also includes a 100-page hardcover book with extensive notes from Johnny about every song.

It was inevitable that I’d do a Johnny Cash post so I might as well wallow in it. This week we’ll have Johnny covering other people’s songs. Next week we’ll have other people covering Johnny’s songs.

Devil’s Right Hand (Steve Earle)
Since Steve Earle was so clearly influenced by Johnny Cash it’s only appropriate that JC would record one of his songs. It’s quite the rollicking tune.

Redemption Song (Bob Marley)
I never thought I’d hear Johnny Cash doing a reggae song. Once again he makes it his own and reveals what a talented songwriter Bob Marley was. And that’s quite a statement coming from somebody who doesn’t particularly like reggae. The other guy on this song is Joe Strummer from the Clash.

The Mercy Seat (Nick Cave)
This song has always scared me. I’ve always wondered what somebody thinks about as they’re electrocuted.

Solitary Man (Neil Diamond)
Strip away Neil Diamond’s bombast and you get a song of yearning, hope, and disappointment.

You’ll Never Walk Alone (Rodgers and Hammerstein)
I was introduced to this song by Jerry Lewis singing it at the end of his Labor Day telethon. I always just thought it was a mawkish song sung by strung-out, sleep-deprived, percodan-addicted showbiz hacks. But Johnny showed me that was not necessarily the case.