Five Feet High and Rising cover

Five Feet High and Rising

Johnny Cash · 1974

21 min · 9 tracks · blues · rock & roll · traditional folk music

A poignant blend of traditional folk and country, echoing tales of heartache and resilience.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

  • brief narrative journey through heartache
  • reflective moments of solitude
  • easy listening during quiet afternoons
  • poignant tales of resilience
  • front-loaded emotional impact

Maybe skip if you want

  • seekers of high-energy tracks
  • prefer longer, immersive experiences

Where this album fits

In the catalog
Deep Cut — Solid entry that showcases Cash's narrative style but isn't a primary highlight in his catalog.
Themes
floodwater symbolism· rural nostalgia· heartbreak tales
Career context
Released in 1974, 'Five Feet High and Rising' came during Johnny Cash's prolific phase with Columbia Records, following his artistic reinvention in the early 1970s. This album continued his exploration of storytelling through music, solidifying his status as a country icon during a time when he was embracing more personal themes in his songwriting.
Stylistic neighbors
Willie Nelson· Merle Haggard· Waylon Jennings
If this clicks, go next to
Ragged Old Flag — Continues the themes of resilience and storytelling with a more reflective tone.
Sounds like this from elsewhere
Red Headed Stranger by Willie Nelson — Explores similar rural themes and narrative storytelling with a blend of country and folk elements.
Revival by Gillian Welch — Shares a poignant blend of traditional American music and heart-wrenching storytelling.
Our Mother the Mountain by Townes Van Zandt — Features evocative lyrics about heartache and resilience in a raw, folk-infused country sound.

Tracklist

New here? Start with "In Them Old Cottonfields Back Home".

  • 1 In Them Old Cottonfields Back Home Start here 2:33
  • 2 I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry 2:40
  • 3 Frankie’s Man, Johnny 2:19
  • 4 In the Jailhouse Now 2:22
  • 5 My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You 2:25
  • 6 Don’t Take Your Guns to Town 3:04
  • 7 Great Speckled Bird 2:04
  • 8 Five Feet High and Rising 1:49
  • 9 I Forgot More Than You’ll Ever Know 2:29

Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata