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