MC’s Song Of The Week #10: “Hurt” by Johnny Cash

Hello, I’m MusiCommentator, and for my tenth installment of Song Of The Week, I will be talking about “Hurt” by Johnny Cash.

I decided for my tenth Song Of The Week, I would talk about one of my favorite songs.  Sure, ten really isn’t a big number, but no one else is going to celebrate the small milestones if I don’t, so I present to you a song that easily makes my top 10 songs of all time.

I have never listened to much of Johnny Cash’s other stuff, but I’m pretty sure that none of it sounds like this.  This was made around the end of his life, and the song centers around his depression.  This is striking to hear from such an icon as him, especially one whose music was never like this.  The track is actually a cover of a Nine Inch Nails track, but Cash did such a good job at making it his own.  I originally didn’t know it was a cover because of how personal the lyrics felt to him.  The lyrics on this are so depraved of any happy emotions that it makes it a perfect depression song.  Lines like this–“I hurt myself today/To see if I still feel/I focus on the pain/The only thing that’s real”–are enough to make anyone sympathize with the singer, and these are only the first four lines!  The instrumentals by Rick Rubin are also fantastic, as they exemplify the pain his voice expresses in the track.  This song is the definition of “dark”, and that’s what makes it so perfect!

Thank you for reading my tenth “Song Of The Week”!  If you liked this post, make sure to follow my website, Twitter, and Instagram, like this post, and be sure to check in soon for future content.  Also, if you have something you want to see me review, tell me in the comments.  Until then, keep on listening to good music! I know I will.