Blog Assignment 3A

Note: Imagery in this one is fan-made. There is no official music video for the original

The original song I have chosen to examine is Trent Reznor’s (Nine Inch Nails) “Hurt”, and its cover version is by Johnny Cash. The first difference between the two is a lyrical change, Cash decided to change the lyric “crown of shit” to “crown of thorns”, and this serves two purposes. The first being a religious connotation, Cash was a religious man who believed in redemption, especially at the end of his life, and “crown of thorns” would have most likely resonated with country fans than “crown of shit”. The second purpose that this lyric change provides is that it makes the song more radio friendly; by removing the only swear word in the song.

Although perhaps not immediately apparent, the intensity of the two versions is remarkably different. Both begin softly, and while Cash’s version maintains a comparatively stable intensity, it does become more intense at the second half of the chorus – it then regresses back to softer sound. Reznor’s version is a continually building experience. It begins with a much softer intro than Cash, but by adding various instruments as the song progresses and changing the intensity of his vocals, Reznor’s version culminates with the impression of a loud and intense piece of music with his explosion of sound that serves as a sort of finale. The minute or so of feedback and white noise creates a lot of tension in the listener (if you have not turned it off yet) that really is ever effectively released, you still feel almost violated and uneasy even after the track has faded.

These two versions have significantly different timbre that is set apart by the two very different artists. Johnny Cash is a country music legend, and consistently his music has a very tight tonal timbre, there is a great deal of affinity in his instrumentation and how it relates to his voice, his cover of “Hurt” is no different. Reznor’s version gains a noisy timbre as it progresses, from the white noise track that becomes apparent during the softer parts of the song and the use of distorted instruments in the latter half of the song. The distortion also contrasts Reznor’s soft voice and creates an uneasy feeling in the listener as the song moves away from the more restrained portion of the song.

Both versions of the song have the verse, chorus, verse, chorus, verse organization. The instrumentation on the second chorus of Reznor’s version changes however, and gives the song a more powerful feeling as it comes to a close, while in Cash’s version the instrumentation does not change.

I enjoy both versions of the song, but in the end I will always prefer the original. Cash’s cover does not portray the genuine emotion that I feel in the original, it just seems like a radio single. The original version translates like a real emotional experience; it evolves and changes as the song progresses. The mainstream appeals of the cover (shorter time, lyrical changes, etc) take away from the experience. I enjoy the industrial/rock instrumentation of the original; it makes it sound more raw and visceral. I also feel as though the song’s power comes from its heartfelt lyrics, and to say that someone else can do it better than the writer is a slap in the face to a gifted artist.