Chris Cornell: Listen to previously unreleased recording of Johnny Cash-written 'You Never Knew My Mind'

The Soundgarden frontman recorded a song from a Johnny Cash poem

Credit: Getty (Getty Images)

An unreleased Chris Cornell track written by Johnny Cash titled "You Never Knew My Mind" has come out in honour of the legendary country singer's 86th birthday.

"You Never Knew My Mind" was a poem written by Cash himself that Cornell recorded vocals to just before his suicide on May 18, 2017.

The late Soundgarden frontman contributed the song to Johnny Cash: Forever Words - a tribute album full of letters, poems, and lyrics that never became songs.

"You Never Knew My Mind" is a haunting song that is rather timely given Cornell's untimely death, and it happens to be one of his final recordings.

In 1996, Cash covered Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage," which Cornell penned on the band's album Unchained.

Two decades later, Cornell returned the favour with "You Never Knew My Mind," which was recorded at the iconic Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, TN.

“I met the man once or twice in my life, and he was so gracious and he was such an influence on me as a musician," Cornell said at the time he recorded Cash's poem. "And he also covered a song that I wrote. Since that time, I’ve felt like he’s maybe one of the bigger presences in my life, in terms of artists that I’m a fan of.”

Johnny Cash: Forever Words features contributions from Kacey Musgraves, Rosanne Cash, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Kris Kristofferson & Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Brad Paisley, Elvis Costello and more.

The tribute to Cash comes out April 6 via Legacy Recordings.

You can pre-order the album here.