About the song

Few voices in American music carry the gravity, grit, and ghostly resonance of Johnny Cash. Known as “The Man in Black,” Cash had a remarkable ability to fuse spiritual conviction with the weight of personal experience—and nowhere is this more hauntingly evident than in his rendition of “God’s Gonna Cut You Down.”

Originally a traditional folk song, this dark, cautionary tale has been recorded by numerous artists over the decades, but Johnny Cash’s version, released posthumously in 2006, stands in a league of its own. Stripped down to the bare essentials—clapping hands, stomping feet, and a stark acoustic framework—the production echoes like a chain gang hymn from the depths of the American South. But it’s Cash’s voice—weathered, unrelenting, and profoundly human—that delivers the warning like a sermon from a man who has seen it all.

“God’s Gonna Cut You Down” is not a song that offers comfort. It’s a reckoning. It’s a reminder that no matter how far we run, no matter how well we hide, justice—in a divine or moral sense—will find us. Cash doesn’t sing as a judge; he sings as a man who has stood trial in his own life, who has wrestled with sin, redemption, and mortality. His delivery is neither triumphant nor resigned—it is honest.

What makes this version especially powerful is that it came at the very end of Cash’s life. After battling illness, losing his beloved wife June, and spending his final years reflecting on legacy and loss, Johnny Cash infused every syllable with a depth few artists could muster. The result is a song that sounds like prophecy, like a man standing at the edge of eternity, looking back not with regret, but with clarity.

Whether you hear it as a spiritual warning, a meditation on consequence, or simply a masterclass in minimalist storytelling, “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” is quintessential Johnny Cash—raw, real, and unforgettable.

Video

Lyrics

… Oh my God
… You can run on for a long timeRun on for a long timeRun on for a long timeSooner or later God’ll cut you downSooner or later God’ll cut you down
… Go tell that long tongue liarGo and tell that midnight riderTell the rambler, the gambler, the back biterTell ’em that God’s gonna cut ’em downTell ’em that God’s gonna cut ’em down
… Well my goodness gracious let me tell you the newsMy head’s been wet with the midnight dewI’ve been down on bended kneeTalkin’ to the man from Galilee
… He spoke to me in the voice so sweetI thought I heard the shuffle of the angel’s feetHe called my name and my heart stood stillWhen he said, “John, go do my will!”
… Go tell that long tongue liarGo and tell that midnight riderTell the rambler, the gambler, the back biterTell ’em that God’s gonna cut ’em downTell ’em that God’s gonna cut ’em down
… You can run on for a long timeRun on for a long timeRun on for a long timeSooner or later God’ll cut you downSooner or later God’ll cut you down
… Well you may throw your rock and hide your handWorkin’ in the dark against your fellow manBut as sure as God made black and whiteWhat’s down in the dark will be brought to the light
… You can run on for a long timeRun on for a long timeRun on for a long timeSooner or later God’ll cut you downSooner or later God’ll cut you down
… Go tell that long tongue liarGo and tell that midnight riderTell the rambler, the gambler, the back biterTell ’em that God’s gonna cut you downTell ’em that God’s gonna cut you downTell ’em that God’s gonna cut you down
… Oh yeahCut him downCut him downCut him down