I have always been a sucker for music with a message and a story, especially tunes sung by individuals who lived a life that gives them the right to tell it. Being from the South, I was a Johnny Cash fan before the rest of the world caught on. In fact, if you get enough pop into me, you might even hear me sing one of his tunes in my best Johnny Cash impersonation.
The last tune Johnny recorded was “Hurt” in 2002. It was a cover of a song written by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor. Both versions are powerful, but there’s something special about the music video of Johnny singing the tune.
With the love of his life, June Carter Cash, looking over his shoulder, Johnny can be seen singing while the video flashes to scenes from his life. June ended up dying within a few months of the video’s making and Johnny died before it was released. If the video doesn’t get to you, you have no soul.
