What Is Truth
{{Short description|1970 single by Johnny Cash}}
{{Other uses|What is truth (disambiguation){{!}}What is truth}}
{{Infobox song
| name = What Is Truth
| cover = What-Is-Truth-Cash.jpg
| alt = A raven-haired man playing guitar and singing into a microphone
| type = single
| artist = Johnny Cash
| album =
| B-side = Sing a Traveling Song
| released = February 1970
| format =
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = {{hlist|Country|folk{{cite web|url=https://tasteofcountry.com/johnny-cash-songs/|title=Man in Black: Johnny Cash's 10 Best Songs|date=February 26, 2020|publisher=Taste of Country|access-date=November 14, 2020}}|talking blues|protest song{{cite web|url=https://www.ongoinghistoryofprotestsongs.com/2024/01/09/10-protest-songs-of-johnny-cash/|title=10 Protest Songs of Johnny Cash|publisher=Protest Music Hall of Fame|date=January 9, 2024|accessdate=June 8, 2024}}}}
| length = 2:37
| label = Columbia
| writer = Johnny Cash
| producer = Bob Johnston
| prev_title = Rock Island Line
| prev_year = 1970
| next_title = Sunday Morning Coming Down
| next_year = 1970
}}
"What Is Truth" is a song written and recorded by American country singer-songwriter Johnny Cash released in February 1970.
Background
Johnny Cash's recording is generally viewed as a protest song, a rarity in country music at the time; its criticism of the Vietnam War and the generation gap made the song a major crossover hit. Cash played this song in front of Richard Nixon in the White House on April 17, 1970.{{Cite web|title=A Country Evening in the East Room|url=https://www.whitehousehistory.org/a-southern-evening-in-the-east-room|access-date=2021-01-11|website=WHHA (en-US)|language=en}}
Chart performance
The song peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles. It also became Cash's 12th top 40 single on the Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 19, and his second top 10 single on the Adult Contemporary chart, peaking at number 4.{{cite web |title=Johnny Cash singles |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=johnny-cash-p1548/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}} |work=Allmusic |access-date=25 March 2011}} It also reached number one on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada,{{cite web |title=RPM Country Singles for June 6, 1970 |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.3826&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=asr9e524nssv6cvm3mqmdta226 |work=RPM |access-date=25 March 2011}} and number 21 on the UK Singles Chart.
| class="wikitable sortable"
!align="left"|Chart (1970) !align="center"|Peak |
| {{single chart|Billboardcountrysongs|3|artist=Johnny Cash}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardhot100|19|artist=Johnny Cash}} |
| align="left"|U.S. Billboard Easy Listening
|align="center"|4 |
| align="left"|Canadian RPM Country Tracks
|align="center"|1 |
| align="left"|Canadian RPM Top Singles
|align="center"|9 |
| align="left"|U.K. Singles Chart{{cite web|title=officialcharts.com|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/28866/johnny-cash/|website=officialcharts.com|accessdate=September 24, 2022}}
|align="center"|21 |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Johnny Cash}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Songs written by Johnny Cash
Category:Columbia Records singles
{{1970s-country-song-stub}}