• AOL
  • MAIL
    • You might also like: 
    • Music | 
    • Movies | 
    • TV | 
    • Celebrity
    •  and More
    • Main
    • News
    • Features
      • The Hit List
      • Spinner Interview
      • Potent Quotables
      • Guest Blogger
    • Songs
      • MP3 of the Day
      • Listening Party
      • What's That Song?
    • Videos
      • The Interface
      • Sessions
      • Video of the Day
    • Our Widgets
      • iPhone App
      • Radio Toolbar
    • Send Feedback

    Spinner Exclusives

    • The Interface - Live Performances
    • Listening Parties - New CDS for Free
    • Spinner Radio
    • Listening Parties - New CDS for Free

    Features

    • Bad Song, Good Band
    • Bands With Brothers
    • Banned Bands
    • Outrageous Tribute Bands
    • Sad Songs
    • Worst Lyrics Ever

    All Categories

    • Spinner Says(7)
    • All About Jazz(26)
    • Clash of the Cover Art(1)
    • Lyrics(4)
    • Music A-Z(24)
    • New Releases(53)
    • Quizzes & Trivia(2)
    • Album(110)
    • Around the World(147)
    • Book Club(57)
    • Canada(318)
    • Celebrity Doppelganger(13)
    • Clash of the Cover Songs(45)
    • Coming Out Stories(20)
    • Concerts and Tours(1666)
    • Count Five(63)
    • Country(45)
    • Electronic(274)
    • Exclusive(2432)
    • Free MP3 Download of the Day(898)
    • Grammy Awards(87)
    • Guest Blogger(61)
    • Holy Hell(644)
    • I Fought the Law(31)
    • I Freakin' Love This Song(238)
    • Jazz(16)
    • Laugh, Rage, Cry(6)
    • Movies(163)
    • Music Appreciation(50)
    • New Music(304)
    • News(4713)
    • Politics as Usual(19)
    • Pop Culture(40)
    • Potent Quotables(613)
    • R.I.P.(184)
    • Road Report(17)
    • Rock Almanac(366)
    • Rock Hall(29)
    • RPM(25)
    • Schwag Hag(37)
    • Songs(201)
    • Spinner Interview(110)
    • Television(94)
    • The Chum Bucket(606)
    • The Crap Stack(17)
    • The Hit List(1128)
    • Total Dick Move(2)
    • Twisted Tales(125)
    • UK(512)
    • Video(923)
    • Video of the Day(707)
    • Wacked News(190)
    • What's That Song?(79)

    The 25 Most Exquisitely Sad Songs in the Whole World: No. 4

    • Posted   by Spinner Staff
    • Comments (190)
    Print |  Email More
    'Hurt'
    Johnny Cash (2002)

    The Breakdown: In failing health, the great American singer tolls a death knell for the rest of us with this brutal Nine Inch Nails song about addiction and self-destruction.

    The Waterworks: "And you could have it all/My empire of dirt/I will let you down/I will make you hurt."

    Casualty Count: Everyone he knows ("goes away in the end").

    Previous Next


    Listen to 'Hurt'

    Buy it on iTunes

    • Filed under: Songs, The Hit List
    • Share & Bookmark :
      Print |  Email More

    Reader Comments(1 of 10)

    vote downvote upReportHigh Ranked

    analyzethis07at 7-20-2009

    To K.T.: It's in the synopsis (labeled "The Breakdown").

    ***I remember when this song came out. It was the first time I heard of Johnny Cash or any of his songs (I was only about 13 when it came out). Being the age I was, I wondered who the old guy was and why he would sing a song that was so depressing. Since then I've heard some songs by him and they really do sound great. And from what I've learned, he's a country legend. It's too bad though, that the song came out a year before his death. R.I.P. Johnny Cash...You will always be remembered.

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    Aaron Truebloodat 7-31-2009

    I remember reading about this song in a song countdown: The 500 Greastest Songs Since You Were Born, and Hurt was #50. It said that Trent Reznor claimed to never have listened the original NIN version of this song after listening to Johnny Cash's cover of it.

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    DDogat 8-19-2009

    NIN may have wrote it, but Cash bought it with his life experiences.... RIP

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    lexyfayeat 8-19-2009

    This song is oh so sad! I can relate! I understand his pain the feelings a BITCH!!!

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    Sandraat 10-08-2009

    Mr. Cash made this song memorable. This version is better than the original. I can listen to this song for hours.

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    bryonat 10-26-2009

    Trent Reznor has confessed that originally he was angry that Johnny Cash had covered this, as it was such a personal song to him. However, once he heard Cash's heart-wrenching version and saw the poignant video, he changed his tune.
    Reznor recalled to The Sun Newspaper August 1st 2008: "The Cash thing was a couple of years into being clean I was very unsure of myself. Did I have anything to say? Could I still write music? Did anyone still care? I'd been out of the limelight for a while. I'd put the brakes on everything to try to get my life in order, to try to get healthy and stay alive. I'd been friends with Rick Rubin for several years. He called me to ask how I'd feel if Johnny Cash covered Hurt. I said I'd be very flattered but was given no indication it would actually be recorded. Two weeks went by. Then I got a CD in the post. I listened to it and it was very strange. It was this other person inhabiting my most personal song. I'd known where I was when I wrote it. I know what I was thinking about. I know how I felt. Hearing it was like someone kissing your girlfriend. It felt invasive."
    It was when Reznor finally saw the video that his attitude changed. He continued: "It really, really made sense and I thought what a powerful piece of art. I never got to meet Johnny but I'm happy I contributed the way I did. It felt like a warm hug. For anyone who hasn't seen it, I highly recommend checking it out. I have goose bumps right now thinking about it."

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    Rickat 11-27-2009

    What makes this song so sad when Johnny Cash does it. Is when you watch the Video of him doing it you can see he knew he wasn't going to be with us much longer and was going to join his wife, June Carter Cash. Who died only 4 months before Johnny Died on September 12, 2003

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    Alexat 11-28-2009

    Great songwriting by Trent Reznor and powerful cover
    by Johnny Cash! One of the few songs that actually
    belong in this catagory '25 Most Exquisitely Sad
    Songs In The World'. So far no mention from one of the
    best songwriters alive, Nick Cave (Johnny Cash covered
    his song 'The Mercy Seat' and ups the ante again)!

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    joshuaat 5-05-2007

    thay playd this at my dad was dead =(

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportHigh Ranked

    joshuaat 5-05-2007

    sad thay playd this when my dad was dead

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    Paulat 5-05-2007

    Great Tune

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    Branat 5-05-2007

    This is a nine inch nail song! Love it!

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    George W Jenningsat 5-05-2007

    Johnny Cash Is Was & Always Will Be The Man.

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportNeutral

    pawat 8-17-2009

    That is the truth

    vote downvote upReportLowest Ranked

    K. T.at 5-05-2007

    This song is original by Nine Inch Nails. Where's the credit?

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportHigh Ranked

    lisaat 8-25-2009

    the description credits NIN, I don't think that is the point, the way that Johnny Cash sings this song brings a whole new level of sadness, even Trent Reznor admits this

    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    Kechat 5-05-2007

    This song by Johnny cash is very true to What life is. In my opinion, cash is saying how all the success doesn't matter because it can all Hurt and fall apart in the end. In the 3 minutes or so of this song he talks about the main points of his life and his mistakes. Johnny cash is the greatest!

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    Ron Jenningsat 5-05-2007

    Makes you think about all the lost and wasted lives.

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    Wayneat 5-05-2007

    This song should be number one on the list, period. Johnny cash is the man, and he hit this song so much harder then even the original artists nine inch nails could have wished. Amazing song, and an amazing artist! RIP JOHNNY CASH!

    Reply
    vote downvote upReportHighest Ranked

    Smokin Joeat 5-05-2007

    The Man in Black Lives Forever .

    Reply
    12345 Next >

    Add your comments

    • New Users
    • Returning Users
    • AOL/AIM Screenname

    If you are posting a comment for the first time, please enter your name and email address in the fields above. Your name will be displayed with your comment. Your email address will never be displayed.

    Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Off-topic, promotional or otherwise inappropriateinappropriate comments will be removed.

    When you enter your name and email address for the first time, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, as well as a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.

    Follow US

    Facebook
    Twitter
    RSS
    • Contact Us
    • Send News Tips
    • Advertise with Us

    Shop Now

    Listen to Full CDs

    • Hot Chip, 'One Life Stand'
    • Sade, 'Soldier of Love'Massive Attack, 'Heligoland'
    • Return of the Wu & Friends
    • Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds
    • All Spinner Full CDs

    Relevant Posts

    • Johnny Cash's Scottish Roots Explored in New Documentary (2 days ago - 4 Comments)
    • Dolly Parton Considering an Album With Jack White (5 days ago - 2 Comments)
    • Rosanne Cash on Johnny Cash, Country Covers and Supergroups (5 days ago - 0 Comments)
    • Phish Release Historic 1992 Show to Benefit Haiti (12 days ago - 3 Comments)
    • Roy Orbison to Get Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame (28 days ago - 24 Comments)

    Billboard

    • 1: Break, Three Days Grace
    • 2: Uprising, Muse
    • 3: Your Decision, Alice In Chains
    • 4: If You Only Knew, Shinedown
    • 5: (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To, Weezer
    • See All Top 100 Rock Albums at

    Hottest Artists on Tour: Lady GaGa, Taylor Swift, Pink, Black Eyed Peas, Kid Cudi,

    Also on AOL

    Quick Links

    • Celebrity Tattoos
    • Celebrities Without Makeup
    • Slipknot Masks
    • Christmas Music
    • 50s Music
    • 60s Music
    • 90s Music
    • 70s Music
    • 80s Music
    • Best Songs Of 2008
    • Horrorcore
    • Michael Jackson Songs

    Also on AOL Music

    • Concert Tickets
    • Country Music
    • Grammys
    • Hip Hop Music
    • Lyrics
    • Metal Music
    • Music News
    • Music Videos
    • New Music Releases
    • Online Radio
    • PopEater

    Blogs on AOL

    • Autoblog
    • Be Red
    • BloggingStocks
    • Cinematical
    • DownloadSquad
    • Engadget
    • Fanhouse
    • Joystiq
    • StyleList
    • TMZ

    More on AOL

    • African-American Culture
    • AOL Video
    • Breaking News
    • CityGuide
    • Food
    • Love
    • Media Player
    • Musica Latina
    • Pixcetera
    • Singles
    • Wallet Pop

    More on AOL

    • Television
    • Movies
    • Money
    • Mapquest
    • Horoscopes
    • Health
    • AOL Latino
    • Games
    • SHOUTcast

    Help Links

    • Advertise With Us
    • Mail
    • Notify AOL
    • Privacy Policy
    • Search
    • Terms of Service
    • Trademarks
    • Follow Spinner on Twitter
    • The Interface
    • Free Mp3
    • Full CDs
    • RSS
    • Terms of Use

    Spinner.com © 2009 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.