WE GOT PAID BY CASH
(Written by Harold / Don Reid)
The Statler Brothers


It started March of sixty-four, many years ago,
We were hired by Johnny Cash to open up his show.
Four boys, a worn out Cadillac with a road map on the dash,
For the next eight and one half years, we got paid by Cash.
He took us down to Nashville to Columbia studio,
Not knowing where we came from, they told us where to go.
But Johnny said "I like 'em! Don't you give them no trash."
You see we were Johnny's little boys and we got paid by Cash.
We were there when June became Johnny's lovin' bride,
And we sang to him that mornin' our buddy Luther died,
And we were there when the son was born that filled them both with 
pride,
And we were there when John remembered God was on his side.
We watched him on the concert stage, we watched him write his songs,
And saw the things we had to do and the things that could go wrong.
And if we had to start again we'd do it in a flash,
'Cause we learned more than we earned when we got paid by Cash.
Then came the time when our career demanded that we go,
And through some tears we all shook hands that last and final show.
All those years we never had a contract or a clash,
Whatever we may be today we owe it all to Cash.
We were there when June became Johnny's lovin' bride,
And we sang to him that mornin' our buddy Luther died,
And we were there when the son was born that filled them both with 
pride,
And we were there when John remembered God was on his side.
Now John will tell you there were years when times were good and bad,
But we can tell you they were some of the best we ever had:
Carl Perkins, and the Carters, and the Tennessee Three,
We were one big happy family and would have done it all for free.
- don don don DON DON Don...Don Don (trumpets)...



(Contributed by boB Cartlidge - January 2003)