Commemorating the Dead with Johnny Cash

Johnny CashToday is the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, otherwise known as All Souls Day. As we remember all those who have died, it is important to remember that in death life is only changed, not ended.

Johnny Cash’s final musical legacy beautifully expresses our hope of eternal life, and can provide teachers with a powerful opening to a discussion of the afterlife.

Shortly before he died in 2003, Johnny Cash recorded his last song, “Ain’t No Grave,” a haunting 1953 spiritual by Claude Ely. As Cash sings, his gravelly voice defies the despair of the tomb. The song has inspired an amazing endeavor called The Johnny Cash Project, in which people all over the world are contributing to Cash’s last music video.

According to the site,

“Through this interactive website, participants may draw their own portrait of Johnny Cash to be integrated into a collective whole. As people all over the world contribute, the project will continue to evolve and grow, one frame at a time.

Submit your drawing to become a part of the new music video for the song “Ain’t No Grave.” Strung together and relayed in sequence your art, paired with Johnny’s haunting song, will become a living, moving, and ever changing portrait of the legendary Man in Black.”

The following video explains that over 250,000 people from 172 countries have already contributed to the project. To see the results, be sure to watch past the 2:51 mark, where the video actually begins.

It’s truly an amazing accomplishment, and one that teachers can use as an entry point into talking about the difficult subject of death. Here are some ideas for how this video might be used in a middle school or high school classroom:

  • Invite students to create their own pictures of their deceased loved ones making the journey to heaven. The pictures could then be scanned and put together into a book or video.
  • Ask students to write their own song or poem about the hope of heaven.
  • Freeze the video on certain frames and ask what the artist might have been trying to say about life or death.
  • Organize students into small groups, and using iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, or other video editing software, have them choose a similar song and create a video using images from Wikimedia Commons or some other royalty-free image site.

How would you use the song or video in your classroom? Do you have other songs you like to share with students to help them deal with the mystery of death?

There ain’t no grave can hold my body down.
There ain’t no grave can hold my body down.

When I hear that trumpet sound I’m gonna rise right outta the ground
Ain’t no grave that can hold my body down.

Well look way down the river and what do you think I see?
I see a band of angels and they’re coming after me.

Ain’t no grave can hold my body down.
There ain’t no grave can hold my body down.

Well look down yonder, Gabriel, put your feet on the land and sea.
But Gabriel don’t you blow your trumpet ‘til you hear from me.

There ain’t no grave can hold my body down
Ain’t no grave can hold my body down.

Well meet me Jesus, meet me, meet me in the middle of the air
And if these wings don’t fail me, I will meet you anywhere.

Ain’t no grave can hold my body down.
There ain’t no grave can hold my body down.

Well meet me, mother and father, meet me down the river road
And mama you know that I’ll be there when I check in my load.

Ain’t no grave can hold my body down
There ain’t no grave can hold my body down

There ain’t no grave can hold my body down

150 Positive Songs for Use in the Catholic Classroom

GuitarI’ve been a Catholic school teacher for over twenty years, and I’d like to share one of my secrets with you: music. I’m a music fanatic, and I love having a song playing as students enter the classroom. The right song helps students come into class feeling good about life and ready to learn. An opening song is also a great signal device to start class. I sometimes have an entry task on the overhead, and my students know that it needs to be completed by the time the song ends.

But the music is not just for my students–it’s for me, too. In fact, I don’t think I could have made it these last two decades without the energy, enthusiasm and life-giving joy that music provides.

The following list of songs is from my personal “Affirmations” playlist. It’s not every song, but it’s most of them. Of course, it’s highly subjective. That’s why I’m hoping you’ll share some of your own favorites in the comments section at the end of the list. Here we go…

Nick’s Positive Songs for Use in the Catholic Classroom

The first thing you need to know is that my absolute favorite song of all time is “Over the Rainbow,” so I play that song quite a bit. I have over one hundred covers of the song, from country to alternative to dance remix versions, and everything in between. I think it’s the greatest song ever written. Period.

Second, there are several Catholic artists below that I want to draw your attention to: Matt Maher, Popple, Ceili Rain and Joe Hand. These artists are some of the best Catholic musicians working today, and I highly recommend any of their albums.

Finally, clicking on a song will take you to a page at Amazon.com where you can listen to a sample or purchase the song. All purchases help support the work of Catholic School Chronicle.

Ace of Base

The Allman Brothers, “Blue Sky

All American Rejects, “Move Along

Audio Adrenaline

Bachman Turner Overdrive, “Takin’ Care of Business

The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations

The Beatles

  • “Good Day Sunshine”
  • “Here Comes the Sun”

Natasha Bedingfield, “Unwritten

George Benson, “Breezin’

Boston

Caedmon’s Call

David Crowder Band

Casting Crowns

Chris Cagle, “What a Beautiful Day

Steven Curtis Chapman

Chicago, “25 or 6 to 4

Ceili Rain

City on a Hill

Petula Clark, “Downtown

Coldplay

Sheryl Crow, “Soak Up the Sun

Des’ree, “You Gotta Be

Hilary Duff, “Shine

Electric Light Orchestra

Emerson, Lake and Palmer

Tommy Emmanuel

Gloria Estefan, “Get on Your Feet

Feist, “Mushaboom

Five for Fighting

Fleetwood Mac, “Don’t Stop

John Fogerty, “Sugar Sugar

The Go-Gos, “We Got the Beat

Delta Goodrem

Goo Goo Dolls, “Better Days

Green Day, “Time of Your Life

Vince Guaraldi Trio, “Linus and Lucy

Joe Hand, “I Want to Worship You

Patrick Hernandez, “Born to Be Alive

High School Musical

Enrique Iglesias, “Hero

Joe Jackson, “Steppin’ Out

Jars of Clay

Jimmy Eat World, “The Middle

Eric Johnson, “Cliffs of Dover

Katrina and the Waves, “Walking on Sunshine

Mat Kearney, “Nothing Left to Lose

Kool and the Gang, “Celebration

Kenny Loggins, “I’m All Right

Matt Maher

Chuck Mangione, “Feels So Good

Martina McBride, “This One’s for the Girls

Bobby McFerrin, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Tim McGraw, “Live Like You Were Dyin’

Mercy Me, “I Can Only Imagine

Jo Dee Messina, “Dare to Dream

Hannah Montana

Van Morrison, “Youth of 1,000 Summers

Randy Newman, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me

Newsboys

Nichole Nordeman, “Legacy

Tom Petty

Popple

Dan Powter, “Bad Day

The Pretenders, “I’ll Stand by You

Rascall Flatts, “Life is a Highway

Relient K, “Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been

Santana

Joe Satriani, “Summer Song

Joey Scarbury, “Theme from Greatest American Hero

Sherwood, “The Best in Me

Sister Sledge, “We Are Family

Sly and the Family Stone, “Everyday People

Smash Mouth, “All Star

Starship, “We Built This City

The Stray Cats, “Rock This Town

Survivor, “Eye of the Tiger

Switchfoot

Chris Tomlin

Train, “When I Look to the Sky

The Turtles, “Happy Together

U2

Van Halen

Jaci Velasquez, “We Can Make a Difference

The Ventures, “Hawaii Five-O

The Wailin’ Jennys, “One Voice

The White Stripes, “We’re Going to Be Friends

John Williams

Steve Winwood, “While You See a Chance

Lee Ann Womack, “I Hope You Dance

Weird Al Yankovic

Other Soundtrack Music

This is a revised and enhanced version of an article I wrote for Teen Literacy Tips in August of 2007.