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Lily Downs

Kiewitz

English Composition II

9 February 2020

“Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails and Johnny Cash

“What have I become?” is a strong verse used in the two versions of the song “Hurt” by

Nine Inch Nails and Jonny Cash expressing the meaning of living life with regret. The versions

of “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails made in 1995 and Johnny Cash made in 2003 both express the

hardships of life and how you live your early days can affect how you feel as you get older. In

the version by Nine Inch Nails, it shows the song in a slower and rock version, whereas the

version made by Johnny Cash is more soulful and country. In the two versions of the song "Hurt"

by Nine Inch Nails and Johnny Cash, they both convey the message of regret and pain about

things that have happened earlier in their lives. Johnny Cash's version is a little more obvious

than Nine Inch Nail's version but by listening to how the artists sing the lyrics and perform in the

videos, the message is able to be recognized.

In the version by Nine Inch Nails, the singer Trent Reznor is on stage in front of a crowd

performing the song while black and white images appear on a screen in the background. Reznor

claims that this song is the most personal song he has ever made. He wrote the song because he

isn’t happy about the person he is and wanted to convey that into a message of a song. He talks

about how this hurt can be caused by many things such as a loss of a loved one to addiction.
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Watching the video left an intense feeling of darkness and loneliness. His message is to everyone

is to not live with regret and make every decision carefully.

In the version by Cash, he slows the song down and changes a few lyrics but keeps the

same meaning, talking about mistakes he has made and how he regrets ways he has lived. Cash

was dying at age 71 and wanted to do something to turn his life around. Johnny’s version of the

song is a newer version and when he made this video it caught a lot of people’s attention. There

was a scene in the music video of Cash pouring wine out of the glass with his fragile hand. This

was symbolic of his health issues and the sadness of it. He wanted people to see this and think

about their lives and well being and not take advantage of it.

Even though both music videos were slightly different the way the video was made still

managed to get the message across. The audience for both videos was to anyone but especially

younger people who can still change their life around before it is too late. In the video, by Nine

Inch Nails it shows a dark place with creepy black and white images on a screen. Without the

music being played, this opens up as something dark like the way the artist feels. This specific

detail helps the viewer understand the mood and meaning of the song. Reznor also sings the song

slower with more rock while helps create a powerful mood and message. This is important

because without this we would get a different message. In the version of Johnny Cash, the

flashbacks of his life really help get the message across. In the video, it shows a flashback of jail

which reflects decisions he made that got him to where he is today. This helps support the main

idea of regret and pain. Without the song, in the background, you are able to get this idea that he

is not happy and healthy. Without this look of pain and flashbacks of his past, we wouldn’t know

what happened and what he was singing about.

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Although both versions sound different and look different the same message is able to be

seen. They both want people to think about their lives. Cash’s version is more soulful whereas

Nine Inch Nails version is more rock. The different use of genres applies more specifically to the

artist singing it. In both, you are able to see them singing with their heart about things in their

life.

Cash is dying and this made his message stand out and seen as very powerful. Both versions are

different but unfold a message that is not easy to receive. The artists have struggled with

different things in their life but this song shows how they both have been hurt and wish they did

things differently.

The rhetorical appeal used in these videos was pathos. In Nine Inch Nails version they

create an emotional appeal that makes us hang onto every word that is being sung. We are able to

create an image in our minds about how he feels and the pain he has gone through. The mood is

haunting and we feel that. In Cash’s version we see the pain he is going through. The flashbacks

help us map out his life and the things he has done. We see him fragile and old and it creates a

sense of sympathy and sadness for him. Both versions did a good job of using this appeal and it

helps get the message across. Younger people may take this and think about how they can

prevent living a life they regret and don’t feel good about.

After watching the videos multiple times and hearing the words “What have I become?”

it makes me think about everything in my life thus far. Both videos have a well-built structure

that is easy to understand. We need to think about how we are living and take care of ourselves

because you only have one life to live and you can’t go back in time to change it. They deliver

regret and pain about their lives and how it has only caused them to pain now that they are older.
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Despite the different genres and videos, the lyrics revile the powerful message that many people

felt.

Works Cited

Reznor, Trent. Nine Inch Nails Hurt official video, Youtube. 1994,
https://www.google.com/search?
q=hurt+music+video+nine+inch+nails&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS767US768&oq=hurt+offici
al+music+video+n&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l3.39674j0j4&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-
mobile&ie=UTF-8. Accessed February 9, 2020.

Cash, Johnny. Johnny Cash-Hurt, Youtube. 2003,

https://www.google.com/search?safe=strict&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS767US768&hl=en-
US&ei=bZk5XoyqO5fatQb_vauoBQ&q=hurt+music+video+johnny+cash
hq=hurt+music+video+johnny+cash&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-
serp.3...14501.21065..21297...3.2..0.487.4736.2j23j3j0j1......0....1.........0i71j0i22i30j33i1
60j33i299j33i22i29i30j0j46i275.sjPzMN2sOBU. Accessed February 9,2020.