In 2019, Sheryl Crow released a new version of her 1996 meditative track “Redemption Day” off her Grammy-winning eponymous sophomore album. But this isn’t simply a remake with a refreshed take. Crow meld her vocals with Johnny Cash’s cover, which was recorded shortly before his passing in 2003 and released posthumously in 2010 on his album American VI: Ain’t No Grave.
“Redemption Day” is included in Crow’s final album, a years-in-the-making collection of collaborations featuring Keith Richards, Stevie Nicks, St. Vincent, Joe Walsh, and more. She had actually performed the song live on stage with Cash’s recording in 2014 along with her band, and they couldn’t believe the audience’s reaction. She recalled, “We did it once and we just could not believe. It was like an audible gasp in the audience and people with tears welling up in their eyes.”
But it wasn’t until after the tour concluded that she asked his estate to officially re-record the song with his voice. Five years later, it was given new life.
Meaning Behind the Song
Crow wrote the song in the mid-’90s after a visit to Bosnia, where she performed for the stationed U.S. troops. She saw the extremely war-torn area and how the violence impacted the people who had to live through it. And then, when she came home, she saw the genocide happening in Rwanda documented on TV. She noted how she felt confused seeing how divided everything was. But she held on to the hope that one day there would be redemption day.
For You
Cash resonated with the song’s lyrics and recorded his version during the first few months of the Iraq War. According to Crow, “Johnny stood up for what he believed in at a time when what he believed wasn’t so popular… And I feel like he would be standing up now, probably in his own way through his music.”
And hearing Cash sing the words she had written inspired her to reinvent it, seeing it through the eyes of her children. She noted how, every day, she would try to teach her kids that the truth matters and that standing up for what they believe in also matters. But despite her efforts, everything can still be canceled out by everything her kids are exposed to outside of their home. So, she thought that re-releasing the song with the weight of Johnny Cash would have a greater impact.
Listen to Sheryl Crow and Johnny Cash’s “Redemption Day” in the video below. Make sure to check out other Sheryl Crow songs here.
