In this review, we will be taking a look at the cover of Nine Inch Nails' song "Hurt", as performed by Johnny Cash. Before we can discuss the song, however, I feel this particular cover needs a bit of background explanation. After all, the original song was recorded to close out an industrial rock album. What made a country singer take a look at an industrial rock song and decide "That sounds like a good idea to cover"?
After the mid 80's, Johnny Cash's career was in decline. He had been dropped from Columbia Records after almost 30 years with the label, with his next record deal lasting all of 4 years, from 1987 to 1991. He did have some success, however, outside of the normal country fanbase, being invited to re-record one of his signature songs "The Man In Black" for Christian punk band One Big Pig in 1991, as well as contributing a song to U2's Zooropa in 1993.
Based on these crossovers, and without any offers from major labels, Johnny Cash signed with American Recordings, a record label owned by Rick Rubin. In 1994, Johnny Cash began recording American Recordings alone in his living room, with only a guitar for accompaniment. While two of the songs on this record were re-recordings of previous songs Cash had performed, the majority of the album were covers of contemporary artists such as Tom Waits, Glenn Danzig, and Nick Lowe. The album proved to be a huge boost to Johnny Cash's career, earning widespread critical acclaim and commercial success. He recorded a total of 7 albums in this style, although two were released posthumously. His cover of "Hurt" was on American Recordings IV, released in 2002.
It is now time to discuss the cover itself. While the original song utilized an untuned piano, giving it a dark and discordant feel, Johnny Cash relied only on his guitar. While this choice of instrumentation does take away from the dark tone of the original, there is still a somberness to his slow strumming. Rather than the impression of a breaking psychosis that the out-of-tune piano provided the original, the guitar gives Johnny Cash's version a more thoughtful, reminiscent feel.
The vocals, likewise, have a more wistful tone in Johnny Cash's version. Where Trent Reznor sounds like a younger man lashing out at the world as he falls into a depression, Johnny Cash sounds like a man nearing the end of his life, and looking back at everything he has lost and where he has gone wrong. The difference in the sound of both songs is striking, with the difference almost entirely being due to the change in instrument and vocal style. There is a single line change, however. In the original, the second verse begins "I wear this crown of shit/upon my liar's chair", fitting the almost violent tones of the singer. Cash, however, changes this to "I wear this crown of thorns/upon my liar's chair". This fits his melancholic vocals better, as well as adding some Christian imagery that you might expect from this style of song.
In the end, I have to say that Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt" is a great example of someone twisting a song into their own style without sacrificing what made the song stand out to begin with. It is difficult to say, however, if being a fan of one will automatically translate to being a fan of the other, due to the completely different tones of the song. I can confidently say, however, that if you are willing to listen to a slower, thoughtful song that hits you hard with the music video and emotions in the vocals, Johnny Cash's "Hurt" is a very good choice.
After the mid 80's, Johnny Cash's career was in decline. He had been dropped from Columbia Records after almost 30 years with the label, with his next record deal lasting all of 4 years, from 1987 to 1991. He did have some success, however, outside of the normal country fanbase, being invited to re-record one of his signature songs "The Man In Black" for Christian punk band One Big Pig in 1991, as well as contributing a song to U2's Zooropa in 1993.
Based on these crossovers, and without any offers from major labels, Johnny Cash signed with American Recordings, a record label owned by Rick Rubin. In 1994, Johnny Cash began recording American Recordings alone in his living room, with only a guitar for accompaniment. While two of the songs on this record were re-recordings of previous songs Cash had performed, the majority of the album were covers of contemporary artists such as Tom Waits, Glenn Danzig, and Nick Lowe. The album proved to be a huge boost to Johnny Cash's career, earning widespread critical acclaim and commercial success. He recorded a total of 7 albums in this style, although two were released posthumously. His cover of "Hurt" was on American Recordings IV, released in 2002.
It is now time to discuss the cover itself. While the original song utilized an untuned piano, giving it a dark and discordant feel, Johnny Cash relied only on his guitar. While this choice of instrumentation does take away from the dark tone of the original, there is still a somberness to his slow strumming. Rather than the impression of a breaking psychosis that the out-of-tune piano provided the original, the guitar gives Johnny Cash's version a more thoughtful, reminiscent feel.
The vocals, likewise, have a more wistful tone in Johnny Cash's version. Where Trent Reznor sounds like a younger man lashing out at the world as he falls into a depression, Johnny Cash sounds like a man nearing the end of his life, and looking back at everything he has lost and where he has gone wrong. The difference in the sound of both songs is striking, with the difference almost entirely being due to the change in instrument and vocal style. There is a single line change, however. In the original, the second verse begins "I wear this crown of shit/upon my liar's chair", fitting the almost violent tones of the singer. Cash, however, changes this to "I wear this crown of thorns/upon my liar's chair". This fits his melancholic vocals better, as well as adding some Christian imagery that you might expect from this style of song.
In the end, I have to say that Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt" is a great example of someone twisting a song into their own style without sacrificing what made the song stand out to begin with. It is difficult to say, however, if being a fan of one will automatically translate to being a fan of the other, due to the completely different tones of the song. I can confidently say, however, that if you are willing to listen to a slower, thoughtful song that hits you hard with the music video and emotions in the vocals, Johnny Cash's "Hurt" is a very good choice.
