"Hurt," Johnny Cash

It was his final farewell – and what a farewell it was.

Johnny Cash recorded “Hurt” as part of his 2002 album, American IV:  The Man Comes Around.  The song, which had been a moderate rock hit for Nine Inch Nails in 1995, took on new meaning under Cash – whose frail voice emphasize the sadness and regret of its lyrics.  Cash's recording was not a note-for-note replication of the Nine Inch Nails version (which many cover songs are).  Rather, it was a shocking contrast not only to the original but also to the once-robust, rebel-tinged voice that fueled hits such as “Folsom Prison Blues” and “Walk The Line.” 

“Hurt” became even more powerful through the Mark Romanek-directed video.  The video juxtaposes images from Cash’s early career – his successes, his family, his vitality – with present-day shots of a man who is barely surviving.  The look in his eyes, the pain in his voice, and the concern in his wife June’s eyes were almost too real to watch.  But millions did – not only Cash’s established fans but a new generation who had never heard of him or his work before. 

“Hurt” went into heavy rotation on MTV, VH1, and other music channels that weren’t always supportive of Cash’s earlier work.  “Hurt” showed how a legend could be re-invented by highlighting what it was that made him successful in the first place – which, in Cash’s case, was the truth and honesty in his voice.  

"Hurt" would unfortunately be Cash's last living musical success.  Both he and his wife died in 2003.  Two years later, Walk The Line, a movie based on Cash’s early life and career, was released in theaters, grossing over $180 million USD worldwide.