Here’s a nugget for you: “The Chicken in Black,” probably Johnny Cash’s weirdest music video. Filmed around Nashville, the comical clip from 1984 flew the coop for a while, then finally resurfaced on YouTube last fall.
The premise? A bank robber’s brain is implanted into Cash’s head. Then he goes to the Opry in what appears to be a yellow onesie and blue cape, although he can no longer sing — he can only rob people by pointing his guitar at them. However, a rooster now in possession of Cash’s brain is making big bucks with its country clucks.
Clearly, “The Chicken in Black” is not one of those songs that ends up on every Cash compilation, yet the video itself is pretty funny, if only because it shows the legendary singer’s willingness to poke fun at himself. He just needed to be egged on.
