Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
A cover of Gordon Lightfoot’s 1970 song.
This song was recorded in the months after the death of his wife June Carter. Cash does a similar job on this as he did on his legendary cover of Hurt, imbuing the lyrics with an almost autobiographical feel – you can hear the sadness in every line.
[Verse 1]
If you could read my mind, love
What a tale my thoughts could tell
Just like an old time movie
'Bout a ghost from a wishing well
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
With chains around my feet
You know that ghost is me
And I will never be set free
As long as there's a ghost that you can't see
[Verse 2]
If I could read your mind, love
What a tale your thoughts would tell
Just like a paperback novel
The kind the drugstores sell
When you reached the part where the heartaches come
The hero would be me
But heroes often fail
You won't read that book again
Because the ending's just too hard to take!
[Verse 3]
I'd walk away like a movie star
Who gets burned in a three way script
Enter number two
A movie queen to play the scene
Of bringing all the good things out in me
But for now, love, let's be real
I never thought I could act this way
And I've got to say that I just don't get it
I don't know where we went wrong
But the feeling's gone
And I just can't get it back
[Verse 4]
If you could read my mind, love
What a tale my thoughts could tell
Just like an old time movie
'Bout a ghost from a wishing well
In a castle dark or a fortress strong
With chains upon my feet
But stories always end
If you read between the lines
You'll know that I'm just trying to understand
The feelings that you lack
I never thought I could feel this way
And I've got to say that I just don't get it
I don't know where we went wrong
But the feeling's gone
And I just can't get it back
If You Could Read My Mind was written by Gordon Lightfoot.
If You Could Read My Mind was produced by Johnny Cash & Rick Rubin.
Johnny Cash released If You Could Read My Mind on Mon Jul 03 2006.