On Johnny Cash: Forever Words, Brad Paisley performed “Gold All Over the Ground.” The song began with previously unpublished Johnny Cash lyrics, which Paisley shaped into a complete country recording for the 2018 tribute album.
Forever Words was assembled from Cash’s poems, letters, and unfinished lyrics after his death. Rather than reusing Cash’s familiar recordings, the project invited contemporary artists to create new music around his writing. Paisley’s contribution is especially distinctive because it pairs Cash’s plainspoken imagery with modern country instrumentation, including steel guitar and fiddle.
John Carter Cash, Johnny’s son, helped oversee the project and served as one of its producers. The album also features artists such as Chris Cornell, Rosanne Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Elvis Costello, Jewel, and Allison Krauss & Union Station.
A common mix-up is assuming that “Gold All Over the Ground” is a Johnny Cash recording. Cash wrote the words, but Paisley is the credited performer and the artist who completed the musical setting.