Lyrks
Lyrks
Lyrks
Cover Art

Shifting, Whispering Sands Lyrics by Johnny Cash

0

(Spoken by Johnny Cash)
I discovered the Valley of the Shifting, Whispering Sands
While prospecting in a western state
I saw the silent windmills, the crumbling water tanks
The bones of the cattle picked clean by buzzards
Bleached by the desert sun
I stumbled over a crumbling buck board
Nearly covered by the sand
And stopping to rest I heard a tinkling, whispering sound
And suddenly realized that even though the wind was quiet
The sand did not lie still
I seemed to be surrounded be a mystery
So heavy and apperceive I could scarcely breath
For weeks I wondered aimlessly in the valley
Seeking answers to the many questions that raced through my mind
Where was everyone? Why the white bones? The dry wells?
The barren valley where people must have lived and died
I sat down and buried my face in my hands
And resting I learned the secret of the Shifting, Whispering Sands
How I managed to escape from the valley I don't know
But now to pay my debt for being saved
I must tell you what I learned out on the desert
So many years ago
(Sung by the Carter Family)
When the day is oddly quiet
And the breeze seems not to blow
One would think the sun is resting
But you'll find this is not so
It is whispering softly whispering
As it slowly moves along
And for those who stop and listen
It will sing this mournful song
(Sung by an unknown male choir)
Of sidewinders and the horn toads
On the thorny *chaparral
In the sunny days and moonlight lights
The lonely coyotes yell
(Sung by Johnny Cash)
How the stars seem they can touch you
As you lay and gaze on high
At the heavens where your hoping
You'll be going when you die
*Here's a definition to help
You better understand the song
According to the liner notes
A chaparral is "a thorny bush
Native to the Southwest."
By the way, be sure to check
Out Part 2 of
"The Shifting, Whispering Sands"
See ya
Tyler
Credits
Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash

About “Shifting, Whispering Sands” by Johnny Cash

Read the complete lyrics to "Shifting, Whispering Sands" by Johnny Cash. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Country.

"Shifting, Whispering Sands" is performed by Johnny Cash. This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Shifting, Whispering Sands", explore more songs by Johnny Cash using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Johnny Cash · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Shifting, Whispering Sands" is credited to Johnny Cash. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

Album information for "Shifting, Whispering Sands" is not available in our database yet. You can still read the full lyrics on this page.

Visit the Johnny Cash artist page at /artist/johnny-cash for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.