INTERVIEWER: A lot of times people think that the idea of a man in black is nihilistic, but there’s a positive side to it as well.
CASH: That’s the whole thing. I’ve not been obsessed with death. I’ve been obsessed with living. It’s the battle against the dark one, which is what my life is about, and a clinging to the right one. But, you know, I’ve, uh, in ‘88, when I had bypass surgery, I was as close to death as you could get. I mean, the doctors were saying they were losing me. And I was going, and there was that wonderful light that I was going into. It was awesome, indescribable–beauty and peace, love and joy–and then all of a sudden there I was again, all in pain and awake. I was so disappointed.
INTERVIEWER: Disappointed?
CASH: I realized a day or so later what point I had been to, and then I started thanking God for life. You know, I used to think only of life, but when I was that close to losing it, I realized it wasn’t anything to worry about when that does happen.
INTERVIEWER: So did you always believe that when you die you go somewhere else?
CASH: Yeah, but I didn’t know it was going to be that beautiful. I mean, it’s indescribably wonderful, whatever there is at the end of this life.
