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As Cash and his team sifted through potential tracks, it became clear that the essence of a song lay in its lyrics. Rubin had realized that even if the accompanying music came from various genres, if the words resonated, they would connect with audiences. Rubin recounted an early encounter with a Soundgarden song, "Rusty Cage." After presenting Cash with a faithful rendition of the track, including a demo featuring himself, Rubin struggled to convey the potential of the song. Cash was hesitant, stating he didn't hear the song's merit.