PC: The Hideaway Farms
The vehicle was inspired by the idea at the centre of the 1976 song, in which a worker assembles a car by gradually bringing its parts home.
There was also a car with a connection to Cash’s song “One Piece at a Time”. One example is the song “Saturday Night in Hickman County”, which drew inspiration from Cash’s regular appearances at the Bon Aqua convenience store. Cash later described the place as somewhere he could simply live at his own pace. He wrote about tending a garden, preparing his own meals, reading and walking across the land. It was also a setting where he could think and work without the constant movement associated with his music career. For Cash, the farm was more than another piece of property. Brian Oxley had not grown up listening to Cash and was unfamiliar with much of his music when he first encountered the ranch. His interest changed after hearing Cash’s later recordings, including the American Recordings material. When the Bon Aqua property came onto the market, the couple decided to buy it. The farmhouse itself offered smaller reminders of family life. Bullet holes remained in one wall from an occasion when Cash taught his daughter Cindy how to shoot. Details such as these are less polished than the memorabilia normally associated with a major music star, but they provide a glimpse into how the property was actually used. Some of the material relates directly to his time in the area. The museum also continued the connection between the property and live music. Performances could be held at the old shop, echoing the informal shows Cash had once given there. The property is now known as Hideaway Farm, a name Cash used himself. Restoration added visitor facilities, while the farmhouse preserves a quieter side of his life through surviving belongings and personal spaces. The site also includes the American Garage, featuring music memorabilia linked to Elvis Presley and Colonel Tom Parker. For Cash, Bon Aqua was more than a retreat. It was a place to garden, write, cook, read and escape the demands of his career.
Today, the restored farm offers a glimpse into that private side of his life.
