Talk about paying tribute to one of the all time greats.
It’s no secret that Johnny Cash will forever be one of the most beloved and recognizable names in all of country music.
Although the man was a hitmaking machine back in his day, there’s one song that has always stuck out to me…
And that’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down.”
The song was originally recorded by the Golden Gate Quartet and The Jubalaries back in 1947, but Cash covered the song and made it his own, and it was one of the last songs he ever recorded before he passed away back in 2003. It was released posthumously on his 2006 American V: A Hundred Highways album.
And today, one of the biggest up and comers in mainstream country music paid tribute to the Man In Black by covering “God’s Gonna Cut You Down…”
None other than Bailey Zimmerman.
Zimmerman has himself a bit of a rough week after a viral video surfaced of him performing ahead of the Super Bowl. The vocal performance was pretty rough and he explained that he lost his in-ear monitors and couldn’t hear himself. Nevertheless, he admitted that it was a “bad” and vowed to do better going forward.
And timing can be a cruel beast…
Because today, to celebrate the launch of Major League Soccer Season Pass, along with the brand new Nashville SC “Man In Black” kit, Zimmerman recorded his own version of “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” for Apple Music.
Can you imagine getting dragged on TikTok because people think you can’t sing a lick and then having to drop a Johnny Cash cover the next week? Like I said, timing can be a cruel beast…
But nevertheless, Bailey did a pretty good job with the Johnny Cash classic. The production takes a similar approach to the original in the verse, and then turns up the rock and roll in the chorus with a screaming guitar solo to boot.
Granted, ain’t NOBODY coming close to the Johnny Cash version… that haunting feeling, that compelling, almost eerie power, that spiritual feeling you get when Cash sings… nobody can replicate that.
But Zimmerman’s version is pretty good. And if he can bring some of his young fans to the music of Johnny Cash, well I can’t complain about that.
Zimmerman explained why he chose the song:
“The real reason I chose Cash’s ‘God’s Gonna Cut You Down’ is because I’m such a believer, like I know he was… stoked for everyone to hear this version and maybe see Nashville SC use it next season!”
You can listen to his version of the song below:
And of course, the original:
