Country Singer — The Mystery of Life

The Mystery of Life is an album by country singer Johnny Cash, released in 1991 (see 1991 in music). It was his last for Mercury. Included on the album are new recordings of two songs already associated with Cash from his Sun and Columbia days, “Hey Porter” and “Wanted Man.” “I’ll Go Somewhere and Sing My Songs Again” is a duet with Tom T. Hall. The album’s poor performance on the charts – it peaked at No. 70 – and that of “Goin’ by the Book”, the only single to chart (at No. 69), coupled with Cash’s unsteady relationship with his label, ensured his departure from it following the record’s release. In 2003 (see 2003 in music), the album was re-released, with “The Wanderer” from U2’s 1993 album Zooropa as a bonus track. In 2006, “I’m an Easy Rider” and “Beans for Breakfast” were used in the soundtrack to the video game Scarface: The World Is Yours.

According to Cash’s 1997 biography, Mercury only pressed 500 copies of the album.

Scroll to Top