Man in black

For whatever reason, I've been thinking about Johnny Cash lately -- and in particular his cover of Nine Inch Nails' Hurt.

"What have I become?
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end"
The lyrics and Cash's delivery are so poignant in this classic recording.
Though his talents brought him great wealth, Cash never lost his identification with the less fortunate:
"I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town ..."
Another singer, songwriter and guitarist who identified with those who struggle through life wrote a beautiful song intended for Johnny Cash (but never recorded by him) that could also be regarded as a tribute to the man in black. Hear Joe Strummer sing about a man who cast a Long Shadow:

"You cast a long shadow,
And that is your testament."