Papa Was a Good Man
| "Papa Was a Good Man" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Johnny Cash | ||||
| from the album A Thing Called Love | ||||
| A-side | "Papa Was a Good Man" "I Promise You" | |||
| Released | 1971 | |||
| Genre | country | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Hal Bynum[1] | |||
| Producer(s) | Larry Butler[1] | |||
| Johnny Cash singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio | ||||
| "Papa Was a Good Man" on YouTube | ||||
"Papa Was a Good Man" is a song written by songwriter Hal Bynum.[2]
Released in September 1971[3][4] as a single (Columbia 4-45460, with "I Promise You" on the opposite side) by Johnny Cash,[2][5] the song reached #16 on U.S. Billboard's country chart[6] and #104 on Billboard's Bubbling Under the Hot 100.[6]
Both "I Promise You" (which is "a promise of devotion to June")[2] and "Papa Was a Good Man" are part of Johnny Cash's 1972 album A Thing Called Love.
Analysis[edit]
"Papa" is told from the perspective of a son whose father is struggling with alcoholism. It was the lowest charting of the three releases from the album, peaking at #16 Country and #104 Pop. It featured additional vocals from the choir of the Evangel Temple, the Nashville church Cash was now attending, pushing the song close to the point of overproduction.
— C. Eric Banister. Johnny Cash FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Man in Black[2]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Papa Was a Good Man" | H. Bynum | 2:35 |
| 2. | "I Promise You" | J. Cash | 2:58 |
Charts[edit]
| Chart (1971) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[7] | 104[6] |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[8] | 18 |
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "Johnny Cash - Papa Was A Good Man / I Promise You". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
- ^ a b c d C. Eric Banister (1 August 2014). Johnny Cash FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Man in Black. Backbeat. pp. 206–207. ISBN 978-1-61713-609-2.
- ^ Peter Lewry (2001). I've Been Everywhere: A Johnny Cash Chronicle. Helter Skelter. p. 91. ISBN 978-1-900924-22-1.
September
"Papa Was A Good Man"/"I Promise You" (Columbia 4-45460) released. - ^ The Johnny Cash Record Catalog. Greenwood Publishing Group. 1994. pp. 8–9. ISBN 978-0-313-29506-5.
- ^ Standard Catalog of American Records, 1950-1975. Krause Publications. 2000. ISBN 978-0-87341-934-5.
Tim Neely (1 August 2002). Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records: 1950-1975. Krause Publications. ISBN 978-0-87349-471-7.
Tim Neely (31 August 2006). Goldmine Standard Catalog of American Records: 1950-1975. Krause Publications. ISBN 9780896893078. - ^ a b c Joel Whitburn (2002). Top Country Singles, 1944 to 2001: Chart Data Compiled from Billboard's Country Singles Charts, 1944-2001. Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-151-2.
Joel Whitburn (2005). Joel Whitburn's Top Country Songs: 1944-2005, Billboard. Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-165-9.
"Papa Was A Good Man Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-05-23. - ^ "Johnny Cash Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- ^ "Johnny Cash Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
External links[edit]
- "Papa Was A Good Man" on the Johnny Cash official website
