God's Gonna Cut You Down

"God's Gonna Cut You Down" (also known as "God Almighty's Gonna Cut You Down", "God's Gonna Cut 'Em Down", "Run On" and "Sermon") is a traditional American folk song.^[1] The track has been recorded in a variety of genres, including country, folk, alternative rock, electronic and black metal.^[2] The lyrics warn evildoers that they cannot avoid God's eventual judgment.^[3]

As "Run On For A Long Time", it was released in 1949 by Bill Landford & The Landfordaires.^[4][5] As "God's Gonna Cut You Down", it was performed by Odetta on Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues (1956), and Johnny Cash on the posthumously released American V: A Hundred Highways (2006). Marilyn Manson also used this title for a non-album single in 2019.^[6] As "Run On", it has been recorded by Elvis Presley and Tom Jones, and the Blind Boys of Alabama. The song has been covered by many other artists.^[1]

Moby version

"Run On"
Single by Moby
from the album Play
Released	April 26, 1999 (1999-04-26)
Studio	Moby's home studio (Manhattan, New York)
Length	3:45 (album version) 3:33 (single version)
Label	V2 Mute
Songwriter(s)	Moby
Producer(s)	Moby
Moby singles chronology
"Honey" (1999) "Run On" (1999) "Bodyrock" (1999)

"Run On" is a remix of the version by Bill Landford and the Landfordairs, by American electronica musician Moby. It was released as the second single from his fifth studio album Play on April 26, 1999.^[7][8][9]

Recorded by Moby for his fifth studio album Play, "Run On" features samples from "Run On for a Long Time", a 1949 recording by Bill Landford and the Landfordairs of the traditional folk hymn "God's Gonna Cut You Down", which make up the song's vocal content.^[10][11] Moby was unaware of the original hymn's considerable popularity in country and gospel music as a standard while recording the song.^[12] He later recalled that "Run On" was "really hard to put together, because it has so many samples in it. I didn't use computers at this point, it was all done with stand-alone samplers. When it was finished, I collapsed in exhaustion."^[12]

Music video

The music video for "Run On" was directed by Mike Mills.^[13] Mills' video depicts Moby working at an office whose employees all wear white. A flashback is then shown involving a workout instructor who faints while teaching a class; Moby then arrives and puts an inhaler in her mouth, reviving her. The video proceeds through subsequent flashbacks to explain the entire plot: the office Moby works in is heaven, the instructor is self-conscious and unsure of her capabilities, and heaven is a self-help phone line. Towards the end of the video, Moby is seen dead in a parking lot, with a man checking his pulse. The video concludes similarly to the opening scene, with Moby working in an office while still living, only everyone is unkind and emotionally distant.^[13]

Track listing

• CD single (CDMUTE221)^[14]

1. "Run On" – 3:33
2. "Spirit" – 4:12
3. "Running" – 7:07

• CD single – extended (LCDMUTE221)^[15]

1. "Run On" (extended) – 4:24
2. "Sunday" – 5:00
3. "Down Slow" (full length version) – 5:56

• 12-inch single (12MUTE221)^[16]

1. "Run On" (Moby Young & Funky Mix) – 6:08
2. "Run On" (Dave Clarke Mix) – 5:08
3. "Run On" (extended) – 3:55

• CD single (63881-27583-2)^[17]

1. "Honey" – 3:27
2. "Honey" (Moby's 118 Mix) – 4:49
3. "Honey" (Sharam Jey's Sweet Honey Mix) – 6:41
4. "Honey" (Aphrodite & Mickey Finn Mix) – 6:24
5. "Run On" (extended) – 4:27
6. "Run On" (Moby's Young and Funky Mix) – 6:05
7. "Run On" (Sharam Jey's Always on the Run Remix) – 6:01
8. "Memory Gospel" – 6:42

Charts

Chart (1999)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[18]	93
Scotland (OCC)[19]	35
UK Singles (OCC)[20]	33
UK Dance (OCC)[21]	27
UK Indie (OCC)[22]	7
US Dance/Electronic Singles Sales (Billboard)[23]	49

Johnny Cash version

"God's Gonna Cut You Down"
Single by Johnny Cash
from the album American V: A Hundred Highways
Released	July 4, 2006
Recorded	2003
Genre	Folk blues[24] country[25] folk[8] gospel[26]
Length	2:38
Label	American Recordings Lost Highway Records
Songwriter(s)	Traditional
Producer(s)	Rick Rubin
Johnny Cash singles chronology
"Hurt" (2003) "God's Gonna Cut You Down" (2006) "Help Me" (2007)
Music video
"Johnny Cash - God's Gonna Cut You Down (Official Music Video)" on YouTube

Johnny Cash recorded a version of "God's Gonna Cut You Down" on American V: A Hundred Highways in 2003, with an arrangement quite different from most known gospel versions of the song.^{[citation needed]} As of January 2016, this version of the song sold 672,000 copies in the United States.^[27]

A music video, directed by Tony Kaye,^[28] was made for this version in late 2006, three years after Cash's death. The video was shot entirely in black and white and features a number of celebrities: David Allan Coe, Patricia Arquette, Travis Barker, Peter Blake, Bono, Sheryl Crow, Johnny Depp, the Dixie Chicks (now known as The Chicks), Flea, Billy Gibbons, Whoopi Goldberg, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Hopper, Terrence Howard, Jay-Z, Mick Jones, Kid Rock, Anthony Kiedis, Kris Kristofferson, Amy Lee, Tommy Lee, Adam Levine, Shelby Lynne, Chris Martin, Kate Moss, Graham Nash, Iggy Pop, Lisa Marie Presley, Q-Tip, Corinne Bailey Rae, Keith Richards, Chris Rock, Rick Rubin, Patti Smith, Sharon Stone, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Brian Wilson, and Owen Wilson.^[29]

This version has appeared in the Fox series Gotham, during the episode titled "What the Little Bird Told Him".^[30] It also featured in the season three episode of NBC series The Blacklist, "The Director: Conclusion", and in the CBC series Republic of Doyle, where it closed episode 10 of season 2, "The Special Detective".^{[citation needed]} It is also the close-out song for the Australian road trip mini-series Wanted.

Charts

Chart (2008)	Peak position
UK Singles (OCC)[31]	77

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[32]	Silver	200,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Marilyn Manson version

"God's Gonna Cut You Down"
Single by Marilyn Manson
Released	October 18, 2019[33]
Genre	Gothic country[34]
Length	2:40
Label	Loma Vista[33]
Songwriter(s)	Traditional
Producer(s)	Tyler Bates[35]
Marilyn Manson singles chronology
"Cry Little Sister" (2018) "God's Gonna Cut You Down" (2019) "The End" (2019)
Music video
"God's Gonna Cut You Down" on YouTube

Marilyn Manson recorded a cover version of the track during sessions for their tenth studio album, Heaven Upside Down, which was released in 2017.^[36] They performed the song live several times during that album's supporting concert tour.^[37] Their studio version of the track first appeared on the Ethan Hawke film 24 Hours to Live,^[38] the soundtrack of which was issued via Varèse Sarabande on December 8, 2017.^[39] The song was then released as a standalone digital download and streaming single on October 18, 2019, in tandem with a tour by the band.^[35] A vinyl picture disc was released on December 13, 2019, and limited to 3,000 copies worldwide.^[40] The vinyl single features one of Manson's watercolor paintings as its artwork.^[35][41]

A music video directed by Tim Mattia, who previously directed the video for the Born Villain track "Hey, Cruel World...",^[35] was filmed in Joshua Tree, California and was also released on October 18.^[41][42][43] The track peaked at number eight on Hot Rock Songs and at number one on Rock Digital Songs—the band's highest peak on either chart.^[44][45]

Charts

Chart (2019)	Peak position
Canada Hot Digital Songs (Billboard)[46]	44
France (SNEP Sales Chart)[47]	154
Hungary (Single Top 40)[48]	26
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[44]	8
US Rock Digital Songs (Billboard)[45]	1

Other recordings

• American singer and civil rights activist Odetta recorded the song as "God's Gonna Cut You Down" in the style of a 19th-century revival meeting preaching hymn, for her 1957 album Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues.^[35][49]
• Bobbie Gentry issued a version of the song, under the title "Sermon", on her 1968 album The Delta Sweete.^[50]
• The Blind Boys of Alabama recorded a version in 2001 for Spirit Of The Century.^[1]
• Tom Jones recorded "Run On" for his 2010 album Praise & Blame.^[51]
• Mercury Rev re-recorded Gentry's The Delta Sweete album in 2019; their version of "Sermon" featured vocals by Margo Price.^[52]
• Bailey Zimmerman recorded a rendition of the song for his debut album Religiously. The Album. in 2023.^[53]

References

1. Butkewicz, Niholas (July 22, 2013). "Johnny Cash and the Many Versions of 'God's Gonna Cut You Down'". No Depression: A Journal of Roots Music. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
2. "God's Gonna Cut You Down (Johnny Cash cover), by Panzerfaust". Bandcamp. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
3. "Hear Marilyn Manson's Dark Rendition Of Traditional American Folk Song 'God's Gonna Cut You Down'". Blabbermouth.net. October 18, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
4. "Bill Landford & The Landfordaires – Run On For A Long Time". Discogs. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
5. "Week 557: "Run On For A Long Time" by Bill Landford and the Landfordaires". Beautiful Song Of The Week. January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
6. Hartmann, Graham (October 18, 2019). "Marilyn Manson Releases Video for 'God's Gonna Cut You Down'". Loudwire. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
7. "Run On – Moby". AllMusic. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
8. JeffK (July 22, 2013). "Johnny Cash and the Many Versions of "God's Gonna Cut You Down"". No Depression. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
9. Weingarten, Christopher R. (July 2, 2009). "'Play' 10 Years Later: Moby's Track by Track Guide to 1999's Global Smash". Rolling Stone. New York. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
10. Play (liner notes). Moby. V2 Records. 1999. 63881-27049-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
11. JeffK (July 22, 2013). "Johnny Cash and the Many Versions of "God's Gonna Cut You Down"". No Depression. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
12. Weingarten, Christopher R. (July 2, 2009). "'Play' 10 Years Later: Moby's Track by Track Guide to 1999's Global Smash". Rolling Stone. New York. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
13. Moby (September 4, 2012). "Moby 'Run On' – Official video". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
14. "Run On – Moby (CD – Mute #CDMUTE 221)". AllMusic. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
15. "Run On – Moby (CD – Import #LCDMUTE 221)". AllMusic. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
16. "Run On – Moby (12 inch Vinyl Single – Mute #)". AllMusic. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
17. "Honey / Run On / Memory Gospel: Moby". United States: Amazon. Archived from the original on February 6, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
18. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 191.
19. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
20. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
21. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
22. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
23. "Moby – Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 28, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
24. "CD: Johnny Cash, American V: A Hundred Highways". The Guardian. June 17, 2006. Archived from the original on April 19, 2022.
25. "9 MLB All-Stars & Their Country Music Walk-Up Songs". March 21, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
26. Klein, Joshua (February 28, 2007). "Johnny Cash: Ultimate Gospel Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
27. Bjorke, Matt (January 25, 2016). "The Top 30 Digital Country Singles: January 25, 2016". Roughstock. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
28. by (November 7, 2006). "Tony Kaye No Longer Just History". Archived from the original on March 16, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
29. Johnny Cash: God's Gonna Cut You Down (Video 2006) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb
30. Abrams, Simon (January 19, 2015). "Gotham Recap: Finally, a Decent Episode!". Vulture. New York. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
31. "Johnny Cash: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
32. "British single certifications – Johnny Cash – God's Gonna Cut You Down". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
33. "God's Gonna Cut You Down by Marilyn Manson on Amazon Music". Amazon Music. October 18, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
34. Baroni, Nastassia (November 22, 2019). "Marilyn Manson Has Unveiled His Haunting Cover Of The Doors' Epic Track 'The End'". Music Feeds. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
35. Grow, Kory (October 18, 2019). "See Marilyn Manson's Creepy 'God's Gonna Cut You Down' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
36. Hartmann, Graham (October 5, 2017). "Marilyn Manson: 'Heaven Upside Down' Needs to Be 'Chaos and Fuck Shit Up'". Loudwire. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
37. Burks, Tosten (October 18, 2019). "Marilyn Manson Buries Himself in New "God's Gonna Cut You Down" Video: Watch". Spin. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
38. Munro, Scott (October 18, 2019). "Watch Marilyn Manson face the grave in video for God's Gonna Cut You Down". Metal Hammer. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
39. "Marilyn Manson to cover Johnny Cash for film soundtrack". NME. October 19, 2017. Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
40. "Marilyn Manson - God's Gonna Cut You Down, Vinyl LP, Loma Vista Recordings". Loma Vista Recordings. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
41. "Hear Marilyn Manson's Snarling Rendition of Folk Song "God's Gonna Cut You Down"". Revolver. October 18, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
42. Bacior, Robin (October 18, 2019). "Stream Marilyn Manson - "God's Gonna Cut You Down"". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
43. Gwee, Karen (October 18, 2019). "Marilyn Manson releases ominous video for new single 'God's Gonna Cut You Down'". NME. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
44. "Marilyn Manson Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
45. "Marilyn Manson - Chart History - Rock Digital Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
46. "Marilyn Manson - Chart History - Hot Canadian Digital Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
47. "Marilyn Manson - Chart History". PureMédias (in French).
48. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
49. "Review". Liguorian. 63. The Redemptorist Fathers: 68. 1975. In a marvelous new album of recorded folk songs (Vanguard Recording Co.), a gifted folk singer, Odetta, sings, 'God's A-gonna Cut You Down!' It is a powerful warning, in the style of the 'preaching hymn' of the old-time revivals and camp meetings which were such an important feature of frontier life during the entire 19th century.
50. Lynskey, Dorian (January 15, 2013). "Hidden treasures: Bobbie Gentry – The Delta Sweete | Music". The Guardian. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
51. Moore, Rick (July 13, 2010). "Tom Jones: Praise And Blame". American Songwriter. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
52. Ham, Robert (February 11, 2019). "Mercury Rev Shine a Welcome Light on Bobbie Gentry's The Delta Sweete Revisited". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
53. Nicholson, Jessica (February 17, 2023). "Bailey Zimmerman Honors Johnny Cash With a Cover of 'God's Gonna Cut You Down'". Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2024.

External links

• "Moby - Run On" on YouTube
• Lyrics – "God's Gonna Cut You Down" (Johnny Cash cover)
• "Run On" at Discogs (list of releases)