The perfect song to give thanks to this Thanksgiving. Happy Turkey Day, everyone! First, we at Whiskey Riff are thankful to all our readers, followers, and listeners. We know that there are many different platforms you can find us on. Whether you are a loyal Twitter (or X, whichever you prefer) follower, a lover of our Instagram Reels or TikToks, or an avid Whiskey Riff Raff listener, we are thankful for each of you. Y'all not only listen to our country music takes but also allow us to keep the wheels of this operation moving. Okay, enough of that sappy sh*t, and back to what you all came here to read about- an amazing song to fire up before you break bread or bust open your favorite bottle of bourbon before kickoff. No one does Thanksgiving quite like the Cash family. For many years, I have loved listening to Johnny Cash's Thanksgiving message from a 1970 episode of The Johnny Cash Show. The message is just as relevant today as it was all those years ago, as Cash says: “Thanksgiving is a day to be reminded to be thankful for all the things we’ve got. Though it may seem like little, sometimes we’ve all got something to be thankful for.” After sharing that little snippet, Cash sits down to share a tender poem about a man and his family who didn’t seem to have much to be thankful for. But as they bless the food, he realizes that all the little things you forget about are reasons to be grateful. “Dear Lord, he said, we thank you the sun was warm today. Thank you for the singing of the birds and the laughing of the children as they play. Thank you to that neighbor of mine that fixed my plow, and thank you for that old plow horse.” While this is a message I think of every single Thanksgiving now, there is another message from the Cash family that deserves recognition. Joanne Cash, Johnny's sister, recorded a version of his "Thanksgiving Prayer" as a song, and it's beautiful. Johnny Cash initially performed "Thanksgiving Prayer" on the CBS TV show Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman starring Jane Seymour on November 19, 1994. The show's producer, Josef Anderson, wrote "Thanksgiving Prayer." While fans loved his version of the song, he never recorded it in the studio, so his sister recorded it in 2018. The prayer-like song with religious undertones goes through all the things they are thankful for, reminding themselves during the chorus that without the big man upstairs, they'd have nothing. "I'm grateful for the laughter of children The sun, and the wind, and the rain The color of blue in your sweet eyes The sight of a high ball and train The moon rise over the prairie And old love that you've made new This year when I count my blessings I'm thanking the Lord, He made you This year when I count my blessings I'm thanking the Lord, He made you..." Such a great message. We hope everyone has full hearts and bellies on this Thanksgiving. Happy Turkey Day to all! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5Xp3lQyD8A