We Got Paid By Cash

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