Joaquin Phoenix Quotes on Mind (5 Quotes)

It was quite dynamic, actually, his voice. I thought, well, his voice is fairly simple, and it was in some respects. But a song like 'Walk the Line,' for instance, one thing he did is change keys. That song, every verse changes keys.

He was strumming the guitar but he wouldn't sing, ... And he said, 'I'm waiting for June to get my nerve up.' I thought, 'How is Johnny Cash waiting for anybody to get his nerve up' But he really needed her. ... They both were incomplete in some ways and when they were brought together, they felt completed.

I thought, he feels more comfortable with the guitar, and he just started strumming. It was amazing. It was like a brand new body, suddenly. I've never seen anything like that.

That was Johnny Cash. He was a complete person. He acknowledged the darker side of his mind. He didn't try to deny it. Most of us are forced into labeling ourselves or others, but that's something John wouldn't do. This is a man who sang, 'I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die,' on 'Folsom Prison Blues,' and then would revel in singing the spirituals and would, in fact, leave Sun Records because Sam Phillips wouldn't let him record an album of gospel songs.

I went to have dinner at their house before I even heard about the movie. We were in their living room and John just started strumming. He said he was waiting for June before he could get his nerve up. And I thought, 'Wow, this is Johnny Cash waiting to get his nerve up. This guy has played prisons and he's nervous.' Then June came in and they started singing On the Banks of the River Jordan and they're looking into each other's eyes, and the connection and love they had was palpable.