Released in March 1991, The Mystery of Life was Johnny Cash’s sixth and final album on Mercury Records, and features songs from contemporary album sessions as well as Cash’s first Mercury session in 1986 for the album Johnny Cash is Coming to Town. The record includes recordings of two songs already associated with him from his Sun and Columbia days, Hey Porter and Wanted Man. I’ll Go Somewhere and Sing My Songs Again finds Cash duetting with long-time collaborator Tom T. Hall. Unfortunately the album performed poorly on the Billboard country charts (it peaked at #70), as did the single Goin’ By The Book (#69). Coupled with an unsteady relationship with Mercury at the time, Cash’s departure from the label followed the album’s release.