Happiness Is You

Happiness Is You arrived in 1966 during a period of transition in Johnny Cash’s life and career. The Man in Black experienced the unraveling of his first marriage, grappled with substance abuse, and faced run-ins with the law while recording the album’s tracks. There were bright spots as well, most notably a deepening relationship with June Carter that found expression in the title number and “Happy to Be with You,” both cowritten by Johnny and June. The positive outlook in those tunes is counterbalanced by darker observations about love and heartache like “For Lovin’ Me” and “A Wound Time Can’t Erase,” which make the most of Cash’s cellar-deep vocals. In between these emotional extremes are tracks like “She Came from the Mountains” (a folk-style ballad by singer/songwriter Peter La Farge) and “Wabash Cannonball” (a buoyant country classic composed by June’s uncle A.P. Carter). Jack Clement’s “Guess Things Happen That Way”—first recorded by Cash back in his Sun Records days—captures a mood of acceptance that fits the overall mood of this diverse and revelatory song collection.