Johnny Cash, Hurt

Besides the uncanny resemblance to my father, and also the fact that he was almost the same age and also from the same place in Texas, this song is bittersweet for me. My Dad who grew up in West Texas and entered the US Air Force in 1948 loved Johnny Cash. I grew up listening to the country music of my father as well as the classical music of my mother. But it was the rawness of some of this music, like "Ring of Fire" which left their mark on my impressionable soul.

When Johnny Cash decided to record this version of the "Nine Inch Nails" Trent Resner, I was completely blown away at its honesty and expression. I love Trent's orginal recording, but Johnny's version is haunting and spacial. I remember viewing an interview of Johnny Cash who said he was very excited when he finished this video and sent it to his daughter June Carter. She said that it was hard to watch because it seemed as if he was saying good bye. He told his daughter that he was.

This essence comes through in both the singing of the lyrics and the video, and it is the most powerful expression of a life in retrospect that I have ever seen. The sheer honesty and openess are a window in the transition we expect from this lifetime.