Jack White Covers Johnny Cash’s ‘Big River’ In St. Paul

Jack White’s second of two shows at the Palace Theatre in St. Paul featured a change to the setlist to recognize the Minnesota state capital. White and his bandmates worked up a bluesy cover of Johnny Cash’s “Big River,” whose lyrics name-check one of the Twin Cities.

Cash’s song chronicles a trip down the Mississippi River, beginning with the narrator’s accidental meeting of a woman in St. Paul, Minnesota. “Big River” was released by Cash in 1958 and has been covered numerous times over the subsequent decades. White accompanied The Secret Sisters on a recording of “Big River” released in 2010.

Watch brief video clips of “Big River” posted from last night’s St. Paul show:

White’s No Name Tour two-night stop at the Palace Theatre featured the guitarist’s typical assortment of solo material, including selections from his 2024 album No Name, and songs from The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather.

While the protagonist in “Big River” journeys south down the Mississippi River to Davenport, Iowa, White will head east across Wisconsin and into Illinois for the next two-show No Name Tour stop at Chicago’s Salt Shed, commencing Thursday, April 10.

View a set of photos and another video clip shared by Jack White from his second St. Paul show below: