Johnny Cash, "The Man in Black," is one of America's most prolific and influential songwriters, speaking through his songs to the soul of the nation while capturing the victories and losses that marked his own life. This comprehensive and definitive book collects--for the first time--every one of his song lyrics alongside never-before-seen reproductions of handwritten pages from his own notebooks.

Organized chronologically and with critical commentary on themes that appear throughout his work, including a foreword from his son, John Carter Cash, this book catalogs Cash's range as a poet and storyteller. It traces his evolution from his earliest compositions to his last love song, through periods of personal struggle, political activism, and tests of faith. What emerges is an unprecedented portrait of Johnny Cash as a timeless American artist.