"Get Rhythm" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. It was released in September 1969 as a single.
Contents[]
Content[edit][]
The song is about optimism, centering on a shoeshine boy who "gets rhythm" to cope with the tedious nature of his job.
Critical reception[edit][]
Alice Randall in the book "My Country Roots: The Ultimate MP3 Guide to America's Original Outsider Music" asks the question, "racist, racialist, or race appreciating? You decide. Maybe the grinning "boy" hides something worth knowing in his mask as well as behind his mask."[2]
Chart performance[edit][]
"Get Rhythm" was released in 1956 as the B-side to Cash's first Number One hit, "I Walk the Line." In 1969, the original recording of "Get Rhythm" was released as a single itself, with sound effects dubbed in to simulate the sound of a live recording.[1] This rerelease went to #23 on the country charts.
| Chart (1969) | Peak
position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 23 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 60 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 59 |
| Preceded by | RPM Country Tracks
number-one single November 15-November 22, 1969 |
Succeeded by |
Martin Delray version[edit][]
| "Get Rhythm" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Martin Delray | ||||
| from the album Get Rhythm | ||||
| B-side | "The Very Thought of You" | |||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Format | CD single | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:52 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producer(s) | Blake Mevis, Nelson Larkin | |||
| Martin Delray singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
In 1991, Martin Delray recorded a cover of the song on his debut album, also entitled Get Rhythm. Released as his debut single, Delray's version featured guest vocals from Cash, as well as a guest appearance by him in the music video.[3] It peaked at #27 on the country charts.
Chart performance[edit][]
| Chart (1991) | Peak
position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[4] | 18 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[5] | 27 |