Música o letra?

Siempre he pensado que una canción es, en más del 90%, su música. La mayoría de las canciones que me han calado, en un principio, no entendía gran cosa de su letra.

Sin embargo hay otras, pocas, en que es prácticamente la letra lo que las hace destacar.

Una de ellas, Give my love to Rose, una canción de Johnny Cash de 1957 que grabó en varias ocasiones. La última, 10 meses antes de su muerte para el album American IV: The Man Comes Around, recibió un Grammy.

La grabación primera fue a la manera usual de Johnny Cash con sus Tennessee Two (guitarra y bajo), y en la última de 2002 solo hay alguna pequeña aportación aparte de su cascada voz. Sigue siendo un ritmo monótono. Pero acompaña una sentida letra que emociona y me  llega al fondo, hasta suspirar al acabar.

I found him by the railroad track this morning
I could see that he was nearly dead
I knelt down beside him and I listened
Just to hear the words the dying fellow said

He said they let me out of prison down in Frisco
For ten long years I've paid for what I've done
I was trying to get back to Louisiana
To see my Rose and get to know my son

Give my love to Rose please won't you, Mister
Take her all my money, 
tell her to buy some pretty clothes
Tell my boy that daddy's so proud of him
And don't forget to give my love to Rose

Won't you tell them I said thanks for waiting for me
Tell my boy to help his mom at home
Tell my Rose to try to find another
'Cause it ain't right that she should live alone

Mister here's a bag with all my money
It won't last them long the way it goes
God bless you for finding me this morning
And don't forget to give my love to Rose

Give my love to Rose please won't you, Mister
Take her all my money,
 tell her to buy some pretty clothes
Tell my boy that daddy's so proud of him
And don't forget to give my love to Rose