Cain's_Blood

Cain's Blood

Cain's Blood

1995 single by 4 Runner

"Cain's Blood" is a song originally recorded by American country pop artist Michael Johnson. He co-wrote the song with Jack Sundrud and recorded it on his 1995 album Departure. It was recorded the same year by the country vocal group 4 Runner, whose version was released as their debut single from their album 4 Runner. 4 Runner's version of the song reached number 26 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.[1]

Quick Facts Single by 4 Runner, from the album 4 Runner ...

Content

The song is about "the tug and pull [between good and evil] that goes on inside each and every one of us", according to Polydor Records then-president Steve Miller.[2] It uses the Biblical story of Cain and Abel to represent the narrator's struggle between good and evil.[3] Co-writer Michael Johnson said that the idea for the chorus came to him while he was in jail for driving under the influence.[4] Johnson himself also recorded the song on his 1995 album Departure.[5]

Music video

The music video premiered in February 1995. It was filmed at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.[2]

Critical reception

"Cain's Blood" generally received positive reception for its Southern gospel sound.[2] The single was also compared to the sound of The Oak Ridge Boys due to the use of four-part vocal harmony.[6] Brian Wahlert of Country Standard Time wrote that the song is a "dark and moody testament to life's daily battle between good and evil in which the four voices become completely integrated into an eerie, foreboding whole."[7]

Chart performance

"Cain's Blood" debuted at number 74 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of March 18, 1995.

More information Chart (1995), Peak position ...

References

  1. [1]
    Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 149. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
  2. [2]
    Morris, Edward (April 1, 1995). "4 Runner: Oak Ridge Boys of '90s?". Billboard: 28, 35.
  3. [3]
    Van Scott, Miriam (1999). The Encyclopedia of Hell. Macmillan. p. 74.
  4. [4]
    "4 Runner's not just another Oak Ridge Boys". The Vindicator. 13 May 1995. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  5. [5]
    "Departure". Allmusic. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  6. [6]
    "4 Runner resurrects the country quartet". The Albany Herald. Associated Press. May 29, 1995. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  7. [7]
    Wahlert, Brian. "4 Runner review". Country Standard Time. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  8. [8]
    "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 9241." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. June 5, 1995. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  9. [9]
    "4 Runner Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard.
  10. [10]
    "4 Runner Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Cain's_Blood, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.