The Man Comes Around (song) - Wikipedia

This article is about the song. For the album, see American IV: The Man Comes Around.

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2002 song by Johnny Cash

"The Man Comes Around"
Song by Johnny Cash
from the album American IV: The Man Comes Around
Released	May 24, 2002
Genre	Folk[1] alternative country[2] gospel[3]
Length	4:26
Label	American Recordings Universal
Songwriter	Johnny Cash
Producers	Rick Rubin John Carter Cash
Johnny Cash singles chronology
"Rusty Cage" (1996) "The Man Comes Around" (2002) "Personal Jesus" (2002)

"The Man Comes Around" is the title track from Johnny Cash's American IV: The Man Comes Around, released in 2002. It was written several years prior to the release of the album; however, Cash updated it for the album. It is one of the last songs Cash wrote before his death.[4] Both sung and spoken, the song makes numerous Biblical references, especially to the Book of Revelation.[5]

Symbols and references in the lyrics

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There are numerous biblical references in the lyrics.[5] A spoken portion from Revelation 6:1–2 in the King James Version[6] introduces the song.[7] The passage describes the coming of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, each heralded by one of the "four beasts" first mentioned in Revelation 4:6–9. The musical portion then begins with Cash reciting that "the man" (Jesus Christ) will one day come to pass judgment. The chorus indicates that these events will be accompanied by trumpets (as in Revelation 8, 9, 11), pipers (Rev. 18:22), and "one hundred million angels singing". The voice of the Lord in Revelation is often likened to the sound of a loud trumpet (Revelation 1:10; 4:1; and 8:13). Revelation 5:11 states that John saw that there are millions of angels in Heaven.

The song also alludes to the Parable of the Ten Virgins from the Gospel of Matthew (25:1–13) with the lyrics "The virgins are all trimming their wicks," a reference to the virgins' preparation of the Second Coming of Christ. The phrase, "It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks" cites Acts 26:14, where Paul the Apostle describes meeting Jesus while traveling to Damascus. It is a reference to a Greek proverb where a kicking ox only injures himself by attempting to kick against a goad, intended to represent the futility of resisting the Lord.

Elsewhere, the song mentions the wise men who bow before the Lord's throne, and cast their "golden crowns" at the feet of God. Revelation 4 refers to elders who worship the Lord and "lay their crowns" before Him (Revelation 4:10). "Alpha and Omega" refers to God himself (Rev. 1:8, 11; 21:6, 22:13), but also to the cries of the newborn and the dying. "Whoever is unjust… etc" is a quote from Revelation 22:11.

Music

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The arrangement of the song is sparse (although not so much as in some of Cash's later recordings, such as "God's Gonna Cut You Down"); two guitars, piano (played in the bass register), and an electric organ.

History

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Of the album's fifteen tracks, only three were written by Cash, with "The Man Comes Around" the sole song specifically penned for it, and the only song Cash wrote in its entirety.

The song was inspired by a dream Cash had about Queen Elizabeth II in which the Queen compared Cash to "a thorn tree in a whirlwind." Haunted by the dream, Cash became curious if the phrase was a biblical reference and eventually found a similar phrase in the Book of Job.[8]

An alternative "early take" of the song appears on the Unearthed box set (2003) and The Legend of Johnny Cash (2005). The "Legend" version omits the spoken word intro and outro.

Legacy

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The song was listed as the 296th best song of the 2000s by Pitchfork.[9]

In 2025, the British band Pulp released a cover of the song as a single.[10]

Certifications

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Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[11]	Silver	200,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

In popular culture

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• The song was used during the opening credits of the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead.[12]
• The song is used in the last episode of the first season of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
• The song was used in the ending sequence for the final episode of the 2008 miniseries Generation Kill.
• The song was used in the live-action debut trailer for the 2011 video game Operation Flashpoint: Red River.
• The song was used in the trailer and soundtrack for the 2012 film Killing Them Softly.[12]
• The song is used over a montage of Raymond Reddington investigating and executing members of an attack against him in the eleventh episode of the first season of NBC's The Blacklist.
• The song was used during the ending credits of the movie Logan.[13]
• The song is used in the wedding scene of the 2008 film My Best Friend's Girl.
• The song was used during the end credits of the 2003 film The Hunted, which also featured an opening credits voiceover by Cash himself.
• The song was used for the final sequence in the ninth episode of the first season of TNT's continuation of Dallas.
• The song was used in the opening sequence on season 10 episode 10 of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation "Better Off Dead".
• The song is used in the opening credits on Season 3 Episode 16 of Criminal Minds "Elephant's Memory".
• The song was used in the trailer and soundtrack for the 2022 film Father Stu.[12]
• A parody version of the song was featured in the 2024 TV special South Park: The End of Obesity referencing the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead sung by Trey Parker.
• The song was used in the second trailer of the 2024 Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) film Kraven the Hunter.[14]

References

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1. ^ Wetmore, Kevin J. Jr. (March 22, 2012). Post-9/11 Horror in American Cinema. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 121. ISBN 978-1-4411-0396-3.
2. ^ Logsdon, Gene (July 20, 2007). The Mother of All Arts: Agrarianism and the Creative Impulse. University Press of Kentucky. p. 291. ISBN 978-0-8131-7254-5.
3. ^ Dansby, Andrew (August 15, 2002). "Cash Enlists Apple, Henley". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
4. ^ Brinkley, T. (October 15, 2006), "Walking the Line", The New York Times (review), one of his last original compositions
5. ^ a b In the album's liner notes, Cash states that the song is "based, loosely, on the book of Revelation, with a couple of lines or a chorus, from other biblical sources".
6. ^ REV 6:1–6:2
7. ^ Beckett, Colin (September 1, 2003). "Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
8. ^ Kamp, David (October 2004). "American Communion". Vanity Fair. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
9. ^ "The 200 Best Songs of the 2000s". Pitchfork. August 21, 2009. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
10. ^ https://www.nme.com/news/music/check-out-pulps-sultry-cover-of-johnny-cashs-the-man-comes-around-3911838
11. ^ "British single certifications – Johnny Cash – The Man Comes Around". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
12. ^ a b c Lewis, J. S. (October 27, 2014). "Movie Music Moment: Dawn of the Dead ("When the Man Comes Around")". Cineflect. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
13. ^ Scott, Ryan (August 14, 2024). "The Kraven The Hunter Trailer Has A Weird Connection To Logan". SlashFilm.
14. ^ McPherson, Chris (August 14, 2024). "Aaron Taylor-Johnson Takes No Prisoners in Gory 'Kraven the Hunter' Trailer". Collider.

External links

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• Lyons, William John (2009). Lyons, W.J.; Økland, J. (eds.). "The Apocalypse according to Johnny Cash: Examining the 'effect' of the Book of Revelation on a contemporary apocalyptic writer". The Way the World Ends? The Apocalypse of John in Culture and Ideology. Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press: 95–122. Retrieved June 9, 2021.

v t e Johnny Cash
Albums Singles Sun Records Songs Awards
Studio albums	1950s Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar! The Fabulous Johnny Cash Hymns by Johnny Cash Songs of Our Soil 1960s Ride This Train Now, There Was a Song! Hymns from the Heart The Sound of Johnny Cash Blood, Sweat and Tears The Christmas Spirit I Walk the Line Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian Orange Blossom Special Johnny Cash Sings the Ballads of the True West Everybody Loves a Nut Happiness Is You Carryin' On with Johnny Cash & June Carter From Sea to Shining Sea The Holy Land 1970s Hello, I'm Johnny Cash Man in Black A Thing Called Love America: A 200-Year Salute in Story and Song The Johnny Cash Family Christmas Any Old Wind That Blows Johnny Cash and His Woman Ragged Old Flag The Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me The Johnny Cash Children's Album Johnny Cash Sings Precious Memories John R. Cash Look at Them Beans One Piece at a Time The Last Gunfighter Ballad The Rambler I Would Like to See You Again Gone Girl Silver A Believer Sings the Truth Johnny Cash Sings with B.C. Goodpasture Christian School 1980s Rockabilly Blues Classic Christmas The Baron The Adventures of Johnny Cash Johnny 99 Highwayman Rainbow Class of '55: Memphis Rock & Roll Homecoming Heroes Believe in Him Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town Classic Cash Water from the Wells of Home 1990s Highwayman 2 Boom Chicka Boom The Mystery of Life Country Christmas American Recordings The Road Goes on Forever American II: Unchained 2000–2020s American III: Solitary Man American IV: The Man Comes Around My Mother's Hymn Book American V: A Hundred Highways American VI: Ain't No Grave Out Among the Stars Songwriter
Live albums	At Folsom Prison At San Quentin The Johnny Cash Show På Österåker Strawberry Cake The Survivors Koncert v Praze (In Prague – Live) VH1 Storytellers: Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson At Madison Square Garden A Concert Behind Prison Walls Live from Austin, TX
Soundtracks	I Walk the Line Little Fauss and Big Halsy The Gospel Road Return to the Promised Land
Compilations	Johnny Cash Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous Greatest! Johnny Cash Sings Hank Williams Now Here's Johnny Cash All Aboard the Blue Train with Johnny Cash Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 Heart of Cash Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Sunday Morning Coming Down International Superstar Five Feet High and Rising Destination Victoria Station Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 The Unissued Johnny Cash Johnny & June Tall Man Encore Biggest Hits The Man in Black 1954–1958 The Man in Black 1959–1962 Come Along and Ride This Train The Essential Johnny Cash (1992) Wanted Man The Man in Black 1963–1969 The Man in Black – His Greatest Hits 16 Biggest Hits Love, God, Murder The Essential Johnny Cash (2002) 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Johnny Cash Unearthed The Legend The Legend of Johnny Cash Patriot 16 Biggest Hits: Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash The Legend of Johnny Cash Vol. II The Complete Columbia Album Collection Johnny Cash and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Songs	"25 Minutes to Go" "Any Old Wind That Blows" "Austin Prison" "A Wonderful Time Up There" "The Ballad of Boot Hill" "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" "Big River" "Blistered" "A Boy Named Sue" "Busted" "Cat's in the Cradle" "Cocaine Blues" "Cry! Cry! Cry!" "Daddy Sang Bass" "Dark as a Dungeon" "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" "Engine 143" "Everybody Loves a Nut" "Flesh and Blood" "The Folk Singer" "Folsom Prison Blues" "Forty Shades of Green" "Get Rhythm" "Give My Love to Rose" "Goodnight, Irene" "Green, Green Grass of Home" "Guess Things Happen That Way" "Hey, Porter" "Home of the Blues" "Hurt" "I Couldn't Keep from Crying" "I Love You Because" "I Still Miss Someone" "I Walk the Line" "I Wish I Was Crazy Again" "If I Had a Hammer" "If I Were a Carpenter" "In My Life" "In the Jailhouse Now" "It Ain't Me Babe" "Jackson" "Kate" "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" "The Man Comes Around" "Man in Black" "The Matador" "Oh Lonesome Me" "One Piece at a Time" "Oney" "Orange Blossom Special" "The One on the Right Is on the Left" "Personal Jesus" "Ragged Old Flag" "Remember the Alamo" "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" "Ring of Fire" "Rock Island Line" "Seasons of My Heart" "So Doggone Lonesome" "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" "Tennessee Flat Top Box" "There Ain't No Good Chain Gang" "A Thing Called Love" "Understand Your Man" "What Is Truth" "What'd I Say" "Without Love" "You Are My Sunshine"
Film	Gospel Road: A Story of Jesus
Television	The Johnny Cash Show
Biographies	Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words Cash: The Autobiography Johnny Cash! The Man, His World, His Music My Father and the Man in Black Walk the Line (2005 film) Ring of Fire (musical) Ring of Fire (2013 film) My Darling Vivian
Tribute albums	The Sound Behind Johnny Cash Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to the Songs of Johnny Cash Dressed in Black: A Tribute to Johnny Cash Johnny's Blues: A Tribute to Johnny Cash Walk the Line: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Fade to Black: Memories of Johnny All Aboard: A Tribute to Johnny Cash Johnny Cash Remixed We Walk the Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash Forever Words
Associated acts	The Highwaymen The Tennessee Three Bob Wootton Carl Perkins W. S. Holland Marshall Grant Luther Perkins Million Dollar Quartet The Great Eighties Eight
Family	June Carter Cash John Carter Cash Rosanne Cash Cindy Cash Carlene Carter Tommy Cash Carter Family
Historical sites	Johnny Cash Boyhood Home Dyess, Arkansas Johnny Cash Museum House of Cash Carter Family Fold
Legacy	Statue of Johnny Cash A Complete Unknown (2024 film)
Category

Authority control databases	MusicBrainz work MusicBrainz release group