Towards the end of his life, when he had finished with big contracts to big music publishers, Johnny Cash was approached by a producer named Rick Rubin to make a series of albums they called The American Recordings.

Starting in 1993, Rubin entered into a creative partnership with Cash that lasted for the last ten years of Cash’s life.

Some of the songs were written by  Cash, others by other musicians.

Rubin had promised Cash that he could sing any songs he wished if he would make a few more albums.

Critics said these were among the best of the 81 albums Cash made.

Cash agreed. Last night, Maria and I listened to a  couple of these quite remarkable albums.

I was especially touched by a song Cash sang on one of them called The Beast In Me. The song was initally written by British producer and musician Nick Lowe.

I’m not sure why I identified so strongly with this song, I’m sure it’s obvious once I think about it.

The Beast In Me, by Johnny Cash

“The beast in me

Is caged by frail and fragile bars
Restless by day
And by night rants and rages at the stars
God help the beast in me

The beast in me
Has had to learn to live with pain
And how to shelter from the rain
And in the twinkling of an eye
Might have to be restrained
God help the beast in me

Sometimes it tries to kid me
That it’s just a teddy bear
And even somehow manage to vanish in the air
And that is when I must beware

Of the beast in me that everybody knows

They’ve seen him out dressed in my clothes.
Patently unclear
If it’s New York or New Year
God help the beast in me

The beast in me.”