Week_6_2/20/16_Free Rick Sanchez

One of the most iconic songs known for its depressive themes “Hurt”, which was first created by Nine Inch Nails and later in life, better known for cover by Johnny Cash’s cover. While both tracks have an excellent portrayal of regret and depression, Nine Inch Nails and Johnny Cash version differ from each other.

In the Nine Inch Nail version of the song, the intro of the song it is more spaced out and distance, with Trent Reznor voice mimicking this feeling by having short breaths and a quiet by yet sharp tone. This gives the song a more isolated presence and mood, relating how distance people feel with depression and at the same time giving the song a more clear and opening feeling when Trent Reznor sings, “What have I become? My sweetest friend, everyone I know goes away in the end.” This gives more impact to the song as a whole as it illustrates that people with depression feel distance but in an instance feel clarity when they relate suicide is a possible answer. Then towards the end of the song where Trent Reznor sings, “If I could start again. A million miles away. I would keep myself. I would find a way.” There is more guitar distress and then a breaking of the clam and paced melody that was playing before. The loud distraught breaking in the melody represents the ending of his life, since there is a breaking in the normal melody and a more heavy sinister tone.

            However in the Johnny Cash version, John’s voice is more solemn and warm, but it still follows the paced and clear melody from Trent’s version. This differ in pitch and voice gives the song a different meaning compared to Trent’s version, in John’s version he sounds more regretful compared to just sad and isolated in Trent’s version. John’s version appeals to his audience letting them known that he has done things in his life that he’s regretted, since he has grown old and is on the verge of dying, and he can’t change it. Furthermore in John’s version of hurt he sings, “I wear this crown of thorns. Upon my liar's chair”. While Trent’s version has, “I wear this crown of shit. Upon my liar's chair”. These two differences in lyrics are that in Trent’s version, he blames himself for his failures and issues. While in John’s version his crown of thorns are a meaning that he lives with his pains and tries to endure with the fault and issues in his past.

            Overall these two songs have different meanings but capture the feelings of despair, loneliness, and regret, in John his has issues of his past, while in Trent it is more of a current issue with his depression.