Johnny Cash: Delia's Gone on "The Johnny Cash Show"

[bassgalval]

I like the song, he didn't like Dillia that's it good tune

[sethzky77]

Can relate, wouldn't mind offing a few bitches. Saw the video in the 90's,  weird.

[moproducer]

The song is an old blues number, based on a real story. On Dec. 24, 1900, Moses Houston shot Delia Green in Savannah, GA. He served 13 years in prison.

Authorship for the ballad has been claimed by many, but it was first recorded by Blind Willie McTell in the 1920s, later by Blake Higgs, in the early 1960s by Johnny Cash, then by Bob Dylan.

Each version of the song has different lyrics, and Cash probably never performed it the same way twice.

[Olav1462]

Could you please help me with the lyrics of this extra lines?

I saw my backdoor open - ran and looked outside

I knew she's gone to meet him - ???

burn her names behind doesn't make a sense ;-)

[BlackHillHouses]

@Olav1462 the lyrics you mention are:

"I saw my back door open

Ran and looked outside

I knew she's gone to meet him

Durn her mangy hide"

[Olav1462]

@BlackHillHouses Thanks =)

[dwnwrdishvnwrd]

@Olav1462 Her and her mangy hide.

[Muchtutty]

@Olav1462 you don't make sense.

[joshward1996]

Musicians that write there own lyrics are rare enough today. Johnny's were clever and deep. He was a philospher, man. He's kickin' it with Socrates and Erosthotsenes and John Locke up there.

[GRobb62]

great lyrics, "the first time i shot her, i shot her in the side. it was hard to watch her suffer, but with the second shot she died."

[Rayzpik]

Another great one by The one only Fabulous

Johnny Cash!!!......his buddy ....Rayrogers !!!

[RevolverBobcat]

His smile... awesome. Haha!

[cashfan123]

GOD I LOVE U JOHNNY ALL MY LOVE FROM ENGLAND WE LOVE YA MAAN

[Huddiethegreat]

Blind Willie mctell has a really great version of this recorded sometime in the 30s

[MrBuckwilliam]

thank you abargle and mister cash. this is awesome :)

[danthegreaser71]

I Love this song! Johnny was such a great talent I Love the Video Johnny did with Rick Ruben for this song it was perfect. R.I.P Johnny we Love You.

[Just4Meeeee]

Pretty cool how Johnny smiles when singing about shooting her... I'd like to know what he was really thinking... :)

[habs798693]

I've heard Johnny and others sing this song many, many times. There's probably a dozen or so different verses to this song. My favourite is the original version Johnny recorded.

[harpozzz]

ive got news for you all 1962 on the sound of johnny cash!!!

[vortexspiral]

Wow, I never realized a version prior to 1994 existed. Thanks a million for posting this video.

[Theilman43]

Same

[b0eser0nkel]

@vortexspiral

Incredible isn't it?

[ryanthethird]

I just cried cause of how cool this is.

[camcussion]

I had never heard these lyrics. I am going to sing these extra verses for sure now.

[Chickenhawk9932]

Every rock I bust is going to ring out Delia's name.

[75starsuck]

a love song

[ParkerAllen2]

As a kid I had this on a Johnny Cash album in the early 1970s and always thought it was such a haunting song. The other song I found unforgettable on the album was Suppertime, a religious song about a guy looking back on childhood. Who else could take those two extremes and give such authentic performances to each. In Dehlia, it was only years later that I realized how clever the line "one more round" was - is he talking about another verse or more bullets?

[cashineen92]

I'm thinkin' bullets.

But it always could've been a double entoundre (sp?)

[ryanthethird]

Or, are they drinking rounds of liquor?  hmmmm.

[vintagepunk101]

@ParkerAllen2 i think its open to interpretation.

[MrDoublehappy]

@ParkerAllen2 ...... he's talking one more round of drinks ...... and I wonder whether Dehlia is actually a dog or a horse or some dang thang.

[AndrewEldritch]

@ParkerAllen2 I'm guessin he's drinking to the memory of Delia? She's gone, let's have another...

[uglymoon78]

Wow, "durn her mangy hide", not bad for a love song!

[Armstrong112]

Great to see this before it was famous in 1994, thanks and keep posting!