Unearthed cover

Unearthed

Johnny Cash · 2003

242 min · 79 tracks · blues · rock & roll · traditional folk music

A sprawling collection of heartfelt ballads and poignant storytelling that encapsulates Cash's profound legacy.

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Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

  • poignant storytelling across tracks
  • reflective moments of solitude
  • heartfelt ballads for introspection
  • wave-like pacing for deep listening
  • sprawling collection of emotions

Maybe skip if you want

  • seekers of instant gratification
  • prefer upbeat, fast-paced music

Where this album fits

In the catalog
Late Career Highlight — Released before Cash's death, it showcases his enduring artistry and emotional depth.
Themes
American folk tradition· mortality reflections· heartbreak narratives
Career context
Released on November 25, 2003, 'Unearthed' came in the twilight of Johnny Cash's career, shortly before his death in 2003. This posthumous box set features previously unreleased tracks and alternate versions from his American Recordings sessions, showcasing his enduring artistry after a significant career resurgence in the late ‘90s with 'American III: Solitary Man'.
Stylistic neighbors
Willie Nelson· Merle Haggard· Waylon Jennings
If this clicks, go next to
American V: A Hundred Highways — Continues the heartfelt ballad style with poignant storytelling.
Sounds like this from elsewhere
You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen — Explores themes of mortality and faith with sparse instrumentation and deep, reflective vocals.
Time Out of Mind by Bob Dylan — Shares a similar introspective narrative style focused on love, loss, and existential reflections.
Red Headed Stranger by Willie Nelson — Features storytelling through a country lens, touching on heartache and the American experience.
New to Johnny Cash? Find your way in →

Tracklist

New here? Start with "The Long Black Veil".

Disc 1

  • 1 The Long Black Veil Start here 3:15
  • 2 Flesh and Blood 2:29
  • 3 Just the Other Side of Nowhere 3:18
  • 4 If I Give My Soul 3:01
  • 5 Understand Your Man 2:06
  • 6 Banks of the Ohio 4:07
  • 7 Two Timin’ Woman 2:06
  • 8 The Caretaker 1:55
  • 9 Old Chunk of Coal 1:54
  • 10 I’m Going to Memphis 2:40
  • 11 Breaking Bread 2:48
  • 12 Waiting for a Train 1:46
  • 13 Casey’s Last Ride 3:21
  • 14 No Earthly Good 2:43
  • 15 The Fourth Man in the Fire 2:48
  • 16 Dark as a Dungeon 3:00
  • 17 Book Review 2:07
  • 18 Down There by the Train (alternate take) 5:49

Disc 2

  • 1 Pocahontas 3:44
  • 2 I’m a Drifter (version 1) 3:50
  • 3 Trouble in Mind 3:32
  • 4 Down the Line 2:38
  • 5 I’m Movin’ On 2:55
  • 6 As Long as the Grass Shall Grow 4:22
  • 7 Heart of Gold 3:02
  • 8 The Running Kind 3:12
  • 9 Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby 2:12
  • 10 Brown-Eyed Handsome Man 2:21
  • 11 “T” for Texas 3:39
  • 12 Devil’s Right Hand 2:33
  • 13 I’m a Drifter (version 2) 3:45
  • 14 Like a Soldier 2:55
  • 15 Drive On (alternate lyrics) 2:24
  • 16 Bird on a Wire (live with orchestra) 5:11

Disc 3

  • 1 A Singer of Songs 2:49
  • 2 The L & N Don’t Stop Here Anymore 3:13
  • 3 Redemption Song 3:28
  • 4 Father and Son 2:50
  • 5 Chattanooga Sugar Babe 3:17
  • 6 He Stopped Loving Her Today 2:37
  • 7 Hard Times 4:02
  • 8 Wichita Lineman 3:03
  • 9 Cindy 2:53
  • 10 Big Iron 3:52
  • 11 Salty Dog 2:26
  • 12 Gentle on My Mind 3:25
  • 13 You Are My Sunshine 3:18
  • 14 You’ll Never Walk Alone 2:59
  • 15 The Man Comes Around (early take) 3:50

Disc 4

  • 1 Where We’ll Never Grow Old 3:31
  • 2 I Shall Not Be Moved 2:41
  • 3 I Am a Pilgrim 2:27
  • 4 Do Lord 2:12
  • 5 When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder 1:36
  • 6 If We Never Meet Again This Side of Heaven 2:31
  • 7 I’ll Fly Away 1:54
  • 8 Where the Soul of Man Never Dies 2:15
  • 9 Let the Lower Lights Be Burning 3:14
  • 10 When He Reached Down 2:14
  • 11 In the Sweet By and By 2:25
  • 12 I’m Bound for the Promised Land 2:15
  • 13 In the Garden 3:18
  • 14 Softly and Tenderly 3:17
  • 15 Just as I Am 2:37

Disc 5

  • 1 Delia’s Gone 2:19
  • 2 Bird on a Wire 4:04
  • 3 Thirteen 3:23
  • 4 Rowboat 3:45
  • 5 The One Rose (That’s Left in My Heart) 2:28
  • 6 Rusty Cage 2:50
  • 7 Southern Accents 4:42
  • 8 The Mercy Seat 4:35
  • 9 Solitary Man 2:25
  • 10 Wayfaring Stranger 3:22
  • 11 One 3:52
  • 12 I Hung My Head 3:52
  • 13 The Man Comes Around 4:29
  • 14 We’ll Meet Again 2:57
  • 15 Hurt 3:38

What to play next

This album is considered a Late Career Highlight in Johnny Cash's catalog. Released before Cash's death, it showcases his enduring artistry and emotional depth.

American V: A Hundred Highways
Listen next

American V: A Hundred Highways

2006

Continues the heartfelt ballad style with poignant storytelling.
American IV: The Man Comes Around
Go back to

American IV: The Man Comes Around

2002

Sets the stage with similar themes and emotional depth.
Full Johnny Cash discography Where to start with Johnny Cash Artists like Johnny Cash
blues traditional folk music

Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata