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Hurt
Johnny Cash
American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002)
Hoo boy. I don’t know how this whole project got its start, but Johnny Cash covering modern rock songs is undeniably brilliant. “Hurt,” in particular, is a perfect choice. The song, originally by Nine Inch Nails, is a slice of pre-emo self-obsession, which, let’s face it, sounds a bit like a 17-year-old’s journal entry (albeit a very GOOD journal entry) in comparison to Cash’s cover. Put this song in the hands of a widow near the twilight of his own life, and lines like “everyone I know goes away in the end” become monumentally more devastating. I can’t really listen to this song all that often as it cuts so deep, but when I do, it never loses its impact.
Also check out: Nine Inch Nails’ “Only,” their best song this decade