"God's Gonna Cut You Down" is a traditional folk song. It was first recorded by Golden Gate Quartet in 1946 and first issued later that year by The Jubalaires. Since then, the track has been recorded in a variety of genres, including country, folk, alternative rock, electronica and black metal. The lyrics warn sinners that they cannot avoid God's judgment. As "God's Gonna Cut You Down", it was performed by Odetta on Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues, Johnny Cash on the posthumously released , and Marilyn Manson as a non-album single in 2019. As "Run On", it has been recorded by Elvis Presley and Tom Jones. The song has been covered by many other artists. A version by Bill Landford & the Landfordaires from 1949 was later sampled heavily for the 1999 song "Run On" by Moby.
recorded a cover version of the track during sessions for their tenth studio album, Heaven Upside Down, which was released in 2017. The song was performed live several times during that album's supporting concert tour. Their studio version of the track first appeared on the Ethan Hawk film 24 Hours to Live, the soundtrack of which was issued via Varèse Sarabande on December 8, 2017. The song was then released as a standalone digital download and streaming single on October 18, 2019, in tandem with a tour by the band. A vinyl picture disc was released on December 13, 2019 and limited to 3,000 copies worldwide. The vinyl single features one of Manson's watercolor paintings as its artwork. A music video directed by Tim Mattia, who previously directed the video for the Born Villain track "Hey, Cruel World...", was filmed in Joshua Tree, California and was also released on October 18. The track peaked at number eight on Hot Rock Songs and at number one on Rock Digital Songs—the band's highest peak on either chart.
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The song was first recorded by Golden Gate Quartet on June 5, 1946 under the title "God's Gonna Cut You Down", and first released later that year by The Jubalaires, under the title "God Almighty's Gonna Cut You Down".
Bill Landford and the Landfordairs recorded the track under the title "Run On for a Long Time" on December 15, 1949, in Memphis, Tennessee.
American singer and civil rights activist Odetta recorded the song as "God's Gonna Cut You Down" in the style of a 19th-century revival meeting preaching hymn, for her 1957 album Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues.
Bobbie Gentry issued a version of the song, under the title "Sermon", on her 1968 album The Delta Sweete.
The vocals of the Bill Landford version were sampled by American electronica musician Moby for "Run On", a single from his fifth studio album Play in 1999.
A version of "Run On" by Elvis Presley appeared on the 2004 BMG compilation So High: Nashville Outtakes 1966–1968.
Tom Jones recorded "Run On" for his 2010 album Praise & Blame.
Kevin Lovatt's version of "God's Gonna Cut You Down" was featured during the closing credits of the 2016 film The Hollow Point.
Mercury Rev re-recorded Gentry's The Delta Sweete album in 2019; their version of "Sermon" featured vocals by Margo Price.
