as small as a world and as large as alone

8:41pm May 11, 2014

letmegetinmyzone:

Johnny Cash - Hurt (originally by Nine Inch Nails)

(hear/see)

When one thinks of Johnny Cash, the first song that’ll pop into mind are classics like “Ring of Fire”, or “I Walk The Line”- classic country/rock-and-roll/rockabilly songs that helped shape an entire generation of music. One will often think of Cash’s rebellious nature, his addiction to alcohol and various different drugs that threatened to spin his life out of control, the distinct “Man in Black” image that was so iconic during that time.

Now, when one thinks of Nine Inch Nails - they think of dark, industrial rock. Trent Reznor, the mastermind behind the project, was known for his use of dark and emotional lyrics, pulsating synthesizers and thick overdriven guitars. Nine Inch Nails, in short, is pain - Trent Reznor’s torn soul put into music. Between the dark light shows, the almost gothic image, NIN wasn’t at the forefront of mainstream music as Johnny Cash was during his era. NIN stayed tucked away in the no-man’s land, only heard by those who needed to hear it.

These are two entirely separate monsters. But in 2002, with his health teetering on the edge, Johnny Cash recorded and released a cover of the Nine Inch Nails song with a video. Cash throughout his career had done covers of other bands’ work, but arguably had never strayed this far. 

In short, the cover is beautiful. Haunting. Full of regret of an old man who knows his time is coming, and looks to his past with a sense of it-could’ve-been-different. For the music itself, he sparse guitar notes echoed with the piano in the background show that even the simplest chords can be turned into something beautiful. Johnny’s distinct baritone voice is frail, shaky, and most of all - emotive. He’s singing from the heart. Cash not only does the song justice, but makes it his own. He understands the song, the meaning behind it, and manages to take the song from an entirely different genre and era than his and make it timeless. 

But where this rendition truly shines is in the video. Standing alone, the song is amazing. But when the music and visual art are paired, they intertwine into something truly incredible. It gives a reason behind the song. Cash’s rapidly declining health is exceedingly apparent - he’s a frail shadow of the man he used to be. Interspersed with the depressing visuals of a once-great-man are clips of him in his hey-day, showing the sharp contrast of what was and what is. If asked to encompass the entire video into one word, it would be decay. The song almost becomes a soundtrack to a montage of Cash’s life.

Cash’s cover was greeted with wide acclaim, especially from Trent Reznor himself. This song is widely regarded as Cash’s epitaph, with the music video being claimed as the greatest of all time by several major music publications. For me personally, Cash won’t be remembered for his glory days, his youth. Instead, he will be remembered by what he left behind as his last goodbye, his last apology to his former self that he believes he did wrong. A man who realized his wrongs a little too late to save them, but left aside a little note on his way out of the door. An apology to his loved ones, friends, fans, but most of all to himself. A guaranteed chill down the spine with every listen.

What have I become, my sweetest friend? Every one I know, goes away in the end. And you could have it all, my empire of dirt. I will let you down, I will make you hurt.

Wow, this was beautiful, and sad.  Not so happy with the ‘once-great’ 'shadow of his former self’ stuff.. that feels too much like outside expectations placed on people who have become old or disabled or both.  But I’m glad I watched it.

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