The Man Comes Around ( song ) - wikipedia The Man Comes Around ( song ) This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. ( October 2012 ) `` The Man Comes Around '' Song by Johnny Cash from the album American IV : The Man Comes Around Released May 24, 2002 Genre Folk country gospel Length 4 : 26 Label American Recordings Universal Songwriter ( s ) Johnny Cash Producer ( s ) Rick Rubin John Carter Cash `` The Man Comes Around '' is the title track from Johnny Cash 's American IV : The Man Comes Around, released in 2002. It was written several years prior to the release of the album ; however, Cash updated it for the album. It is one of the last songs Cash wrote before his death. Both sung and spoken, the song makes numerous Biblical references, especially to the Book of Revelation. Contents 1 Symbols and references in the lyrics 2 Music 3 History 4 Legacy 5 In popular culture 6 References 7 External links Symbols and references in the lyrics There are numerous biblical references in the lyrics. A spoken portion from Revelation 6 : 1 -- 2 in the King James Version introduces the song. The passage describes the coming of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, each heralded by one of the `` four beasts '' first mentioned in Revelation 4 : 6 -- 9. The musical portion then begins with Cash reciting that `` the man '' ( Jesus Christ ) will one day come to pass judgment. The chorus indicates that these events will be accompanied by trumpets, ( as in Revelation ch. 8, 9, 11 ), pipers ( Rev. 18 : 22 ), and `` one hundred million angels singing ''. The voice of the Lord in Revelation is often likened to the sound of a loud trumpet ( Revelation 1 : 10 ; 4 : 1 ; and 8 : 13 ). Revelation 5 : 11 states that John saw that there are millions of angels in Heaven. The song also alludes to the Parable of the Ten Virgins from the Gospel of Matthew ( 25 : 1 -- 13 ) with the lyrics `` The virgins are all trimming their wicks, '' a reference to the virgins ' preparation of the Second Coming of Christ. The phrase, `` It 's hard for thee to kick against the pricks '' cites Acts 26 : 14, where Paul the Apostle describes meeting Jesus while traveling to Damascus. It is a reference to a Greek proverb where a kicking ox only injures himself by attempting to kick against a goad, intended to represent the futility of resisting the Lord. Elsewhere, the song mentions the wise men who bow before the Lord 's throne, and cast their `` golden crowns '' at the feet of God. Revelation 4 refers to elders who worship the Lord and `` lay their crowns '' before Him ( Revelation 4 : 10 ). `` Alpha and Omega '' refers to God himself. ( Rev. 1 : 8, 11, 21 : 6, 22 : 13 ), but also to the cries of the newborn and the dying. `` Whoever is unjust... etc '' is a quote from Revelation 22 : 11. Music The arrangement of the song is sparse ( although not so much as in some of Cash 's later compositions, such as ' God 's Gonna Cut You Down ' ) ; two guitars, piano ( played in the bass register ), and an electric organ. History Of the album 's fifteen tracks, only three were written by Cash, with `` The Man Comes Around '' the sole song specifically penned for it, and the only song Cash wrote in its entirety. The song was inspired by a dream Cash had about Queen Elizabeth II in which the queen compared Cash to `` a thorn tree in a whirlwind. '' Haunted by the dream, Cash became curious if the phrase was a biblical reference and eventually found a similar phrase in the Book of Job. An alternative `` early take '' of the song appears on the Unearthed box set ( 2003 ) and The Legend of Johnny Cash ( 2005 ). The `` Legend '' version omits the spoken word intro and outro. Legacy The song was listed as the 296th best song of the 2000s by Pitchfork Media. In popular Culture In 2003 : The song was used during the opening credits and closing credits of the 2003 film The Hunted. In 2004 : The song was used during the opening credits of the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. In 2008 : The song was used during a scene in the 2008 in the movie My Best Friend 's Girl The song was featured prominently in the final scenes of the season one finale of Terminator : The Sarah Connor Chronicles The song was featured in the closing scenes, last episode ( Bomb in the Garden ) of the HBO miniseries Generation Kill The song was used during the opening and closing credits of the film Linewatch The song was used in the opening sequence of the Criminal Minds episode `` Elephant 's Memory '' ( season 3, episode 16 ) The album Sleepytime Tunes Lullaby Renditions of Johnny Cash, credited to The Lullaby Players, features an instrumental cover version done in a lullaby arrangement for children In 2009 : The song was used on the final episode of BBC 's Being Human in the warm up to what is supposed to be a battle between Mitchell and Herrick The song was used in the opening sequence of the CSI episode `` Better Off Dead '' ( season 10, episode 10 ) In 2012 : The song was sampled in English DJ / Producer Doctor P 's, song `` Flying Spaghetti Monster '' as part of his Animal Vegetable Mineral -- Part 1 EP The song was used in the climactic penultimate episode of the first season of the new Dallas series in August 2012 The song was used in the trailer and soundtrack for the 2012 film Killing Them Softly In 2013 : The first lines of the song were used in the pilot Sleepy Hollow. In 2014 : The song was used in episode 11 of the first season of The Blacklist In 2015 : The song was the soundtrack for an ESPN promotional TV spot for SEC football featuring each team 's coach. The song was used in the promo for Bray Wyatt vs Undertaker at WrestleMania 31. In 2016 : Parodying its use in the opening sequence of Dawn of the Dead, the song was used in the closing film of the `` Patriotism '' episode ( series 4, episode 3 ) of Stewart Lee 's Comedy Vehicle. The song was used during the opening and closing of SkySports coverage of the United States Grand Prix. In 2017 : The song played over the end credits of the film Logan ( directed and co-written by James Mangold who had previously directed the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line ). In 2018 : The final verse is referenced by the Father in the first chapter of Far Cry 5. Will Harris, pitcher of the Houston Astros, uses the song as his reliever entry music. The song was covered by the metal band DevilDriver on their album Outlaws ' til the End : Vol. 1 References Jump up ^ books.google.com Google Books Jump up ^ American IV : The Man Comes Around album review - PopMatters Retrieved 10 February 2015 Jump up ^ Johnny Cash Joins Gospel Hall of Fame - Country Weekly Retrieved 10 February 2015 Jump up ^ Brinkley, T. ( October 15, 2006 ), `` Walking the Line '', The New York Times ( review ), one of his last original compositions. ( login required ) ^ Jump up to : In the album 's liner notes, Cash states that the song is `` based, loosely, on the book of Revelation, with a couple of lines or a chorus, from other biblical sources ''. Jump up ^ Beckett, Colin ( 1 September 2003 ). `` Johnny Cash - American IV : The Man Comes Around ''. Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 2 December 2013. Jump up ^ Kamp, David ( October 2004 ). `` American Communion ''. Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2 December 2013. ^ Jump up to : Lewis, J.S. ( 27 October 2014 ). `` Movie Music Moment : Dawn of the Dead ( '' When the Man Comes Around `` ) ''. Cineflect. Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 09. External links Lyons, William John ( 2009 ). Lyons, W.J. ; Økland, J., eds. `` The Apocalypse according to Johnny Cash : Examining the ' effect ' of the Book of Revelation on a contemporary apocalyptic writer '' ( PDF ). The Way the World Ends ? The Apocalypse of John in Culture and Ideology. Sheffield : Sheffield Phoenix Press : 95 -- 122. Retrieved 2 December 2013. Johnny Cash Studio albums With His Hot and Blue Guitar Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous The Fabulous Johnny Cash Greatest ! Songs of Our Soil Sings Hank Williams Now, There Was a Song ! Now Here 's Johnny Cash The Sound of Johnny Cash All Aboard the Blue Train Ring of Fire : The Best of Johnny Cash The Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash I Walk the Line Orange Blossom Special Everybody Loves a Nut Happiness Is You Old Golden Throat More of Old Golden Throat Hello, I 'm Johnny Cash The World of Johnny Cash Man in Black A Thing Called Love Any Old Wind That Blows Ragged Old Flag The Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me John R. Cash Look at Them Beans One Piece at a Time The Last Gunfighter Ballad I Would Like to See You Again Gone Girl Silver Rockabilly Blues The Baron The Adventures of Johnny Cash Johnny 99 Rainbow Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town Classic Cash : Hall of Fame Series Water from the Wells of Home Boom Chicka Boom The Mystery of Life American Recordings Unchained American III : Solitary Man American IV : The Man Comes Around Personal File American V : A Hundred Highways American VI : Ai n't No Grave Out Among the Stars Concept albums Ride This Train Blood, Sweat and Tears Bitter Tears : Ballads of the American Indian Sings the Ballads of the True West From Sea to Shining Sea America : A 200 - Year Salute in Story and Song The Johnny Cash Children 's Album The Rambler Gospel albums Hymns by Johnny Cash Hymns from the Heart The Holy Land The Gospel Road Sings Precious Memories A Believer Sings the Truth Believe in Him Return to the Promised Land My Mother 's Hymn Book Christmas albums The Christmas Spirit The Johnny Cash Family Christmas Classic Christmas Johnny Cash Country Christmas Collaborations The Lure of the Grand Canyon Carryin ' On with Johnny Cash and June Carter Johnny Cash and His Woman The Legend of Jesse James Million Dollar Quartet The Survivors Live Highwayman Class of ' 55 Heroes Highwayman 2 The Road Goes on Forever VH1 Storytellers Live albums At Folsom Prison At San Quentin The Johnny Cash Show På Österåker Strawberry Cake Koncert v Praze ( In Prague -- Live ) At Madison Square Garden A Concert Behind Prison Walls Non-gospel soundtracks I Walk the Line Little Fauss and Big Halsy Compilations Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 Heart of Cash Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Sunday Morning Coming Down International Superstar Five Feet High and Rising Destination Victoria Station Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 The Unissued Johnny Cash Johnny & June Tall Man Encore Biggest Hits The Man in Black 1954 -- 1958 The Man in Black 1959 -- 1962 Come Along and Ride This Train The Essential Johnny Cash ( 1992 ) Wanted Man The Man in Black 1963 -- 1969 The Man in Black -- His Greatest Hits 16 Biggest Hits Love, God, Murder The Essential Johnny Cash ( 2002 ) Unearthed The Legend The Legend of Johnny Cash Johnny Cash : Patriot 16 Biggest Hits : Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash The Legend of Johnny Cash Vol. II The Complete Columbia Album Collection Songs `` 25 Minutes to Go '' `` Seasons of My Heart '' `` Any Old Wind That Blows '' `` A Wonderful Time Up There '' `` The Ballad of Boot Hill '' `` The Ballad of Ira Hayes '' `` Ballad of a Teenage Queen '' `` Big River '' `` Blistered '' `` A Boy Named Sue '' `` Busted '' `` Cat 's in the Cradle '' `` Cocaine Blues '' `` Cry ! Cry ! Cry ! '' `` Daddy Sang Bass '' `` Dark as a Dungeon '' `` Do n't Take Your Guns to Town '' `` Engine 143 '' `` Flesh and Blood '' `` The Folk Singer '' `` Folsom Prison Blues '' `` Forty Shades of Green '' `` Get Rhythm '' `` Give My Love to Rose '' `` Goodnight, Irene '' `` Green, Green Grass of Home '' `` Greystone Chapel '' `` Guess Things Happen That Way '' `` Hey, Porter '' `` Home of the Blues '' `` Hurt '' `` I Could n't Keep from Crying '' `` I Love You Because '' `` I Still Miss Someone '' `` I Walk the Line '' `` If I Had a Hammer '' `` If I Were a Carpenter '' `` In My Life '' `` In the Jailhouse Now '' `` It Ai n't Me Babe '' `` Jackson '' `` Kate '' `` The Man Comes Around '' `` Man in Black '' `` The Matador '' `` Oh Lonesome Me '' `` One Piece at a Time '' `` Oney '' `` Orange Blossom Special '' `` The One on the Right Is on the Left '' `` Remember the Alamo '' `` ( Ghost ) Riders in the Sky '' `` Ring of Fire '' `` Rock Island Line '' `` So Doggone Lonesome '' `` Sunday Mornin ' Comin ' Down '' `` Tennessee Flat Top Box '' `` There Ai n't No Good Chain Gang '' `` A Thing Called Love '' `` Understand Your Man '' `` What Is Truth '' `` What 'd I Say '' Television The Johnny Cash Show Family June Carter Cash John Carter Cash Rosanne Cash Carlene Carter Tommy Cash Carter Family Related Albums discography Singles discography Sun Records discography The Highwaymen Carter Family Fold Man in Black : His Own Story in His Own Words Cash : The Autobiography Johnny Cash ! The Man, His World, His Music Walk the Line We Walk the Line : A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash Ring of Fire ( 2013 film ) Ring of Fire ( musical ) My Father and the Man in Black Forever Words Dyess, Arkansas The Tennessee Three Book Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Man_Comes_Around_(song)&oldid=850626709 '' Categories : Johnny Cash songs Music based on the Bible 2002 songs Songs written by Johnny Cash Song recordings produced by Rick Rubin Hidden categories : Articles that may contain original research from October 2012 All articles that may contain original research Articles with hAudio microformats Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Italiano Nederlands Polski Simple English Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 17 July 2018, at 01 : 30 ( UTC ). About Wikipedia

Question: who wrote the song the man comes around
Answer: Johnny Cash