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• 1 2021-04-28T08:37:54-04:00 "Hurt" by Johnny Cash, contributed by Sam Silverstein (2021) 1 plain 2021-04-28T08:37:54-04:00 I selected Johnny Cash's song, "Hurt" because it gives a unique perspective into the life of one of the most famous American Artists of all time. In this final year of living, Johnny Cash is able to reflect on his life and be totally honest with himself. Even though he has numerous hit singles and is a world renowned artist, his drug addiction has pushed away all of the people in his life, and he is finally realizing that they are the most important aspect of life. His "crown of thorns" and "empire of dirt" represent two words that we normally associate with power, and instead he turns them into pain and sorrow. This song represents all of the self inflicted wounds that ultimately made Johnny Cash feel like his life was wasted, and now it is too late to change that fact. 
  
  Lyrics
  I hurt myself today
  To see if I still feel
  I focus on the pain
  The only thing that's real
  The needle tears a hole
  The old familiar sting
  Try to kill it all away
  But I remember everything
  What have I become?
  My sweetest friend
  Everyone I know goes away
  In the end
  And you could have it all
  My empire of dirt
  I will let you down
  I will make you hurt
  I wear this crown of thorns
  Upon my liar's chair
  Full of broken thoughts
  I cannot repair
  Beneath the stains of time
  The feelings disappear
  You are someone else
  I'm still right here
  What have I become?
  My sweetest friend
  Everyone I know goes away
  In the end
  And you could have it all
  My empire of dirt
  I will let you down
  I will make you hurt
  If I could start again
  A million miles away
  I would keep myself
  I would find a way