“Redemption Day” by Sheryl Crow & Johnny Cash

Within the context of this song, “redemption day” apparently represents a yet-to-come moment in time in which justice will spring forth from the suffering of men. And this applies to the entirety of mankind.  Putting it differently, this track is set on the premise that humankind, as we stand now, is in an undesirable state. And one of the main reasons for this is the prevalence of armed conflicts. Based on this, “Redemption Day” serves as the artists’ protest against war. It also highlights some of the justifications that “leaders” and “men of great” use when rationalizing such devastating activities.

The track concludes by pointing to the inborn human desire for freedom. Moreover Sheryl Crow herself has illuminated that the main message the song is trying to put forth is that we as human beings need to be more-vested in taking care of the Earth as well as caring for each other.

Facts about “Redemption Day”

• “Redemption Day” was written by Sheryl Crow and was originally released back in 1996. Her inspiration for writing the track came from visiting war-torn Bosnia with First Lady Hillary Clinton during that same year to perform for American troops who were stationed in that country. Upon returning home, she questioned why so many resources were being utilized to assist the Bosnians as opposed to the Rwandans, who were also facing genocide.
• When contemplating whether or not to cover “Redemption Day”, Johnny Cash actually reached out to Sheryl Crow so that she could enlighten him on the specific meaning of particular lyrics. Cash was very-meticulous about only singing songs that he personally believed in.
• Cash recorded his rendition of “Redemption Day” back in 2003. However, just three short months after sending the recording to Sheryl Crow for evaluation, he died. Thus his version was not actually released to the public until 2010, being featured on Johnny’s posthumous album American VI: Ain’t No Grave.
• Cash recorded his version of “Redemption Day” during the onset of the Iraq War, and Sheryl Crow believes his doing so was intentional. As such, this rendition of the track is actually a ‘virtual duet’ in which Crow mixes her vocals with those recorded by Cash in 2003.
• Crow claims that the first time she heard Johnny Cash’s take on the song, she “wept”, and even ’til now when she hears his vocals, she has an emotional reaction.
• To launch the video for “Redemption Day”, Sheryl Crow actually organized a media event at Cash Cabin Studio in Tennessee, which is the same studio Cash first recorded his version of this song.
• Although the music video, which features images of President Donald Trump and President Barack Obama, is by and large nonpartisan, Crow is known for being an outspoken critic of Donald Trump.
• The Sheryl Crow/Johnny Cash version of “Redemption Day” was  produced by Steve Jordan and the legendary Rick Rubin. It’s official release date was 19 April 2019.

How Sheryl Crow and Johnny Cash first met

Cash and Crow first met back in 1995, and a friendship ensued. Indeed Crow even sung at the funeral of both Johnny Cash and his wife, June Carter Cash.

Who wrote “Redemption Day”?

The song was written exclusively by Sheryl Crow.

Is this version of “Redemption Day” the same as the original?

While lyrically this version of the song is the same as the original, Crow feels that the duet with Johnny Cash carries even more meaning within the context of modern-day America.

Which album is “Redemption Day” on?

As of the date this article was published, the name of the album is unknown. However, the album upon it will be featured on, which is scheduled to come out during the summer of 2019, according to Sheryl Crow, will be her last.