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Johnny Cash was a life long believer in God. His early gospel albums were really good. However as his life went in and fame grew his drug and alcohol abuse and other trappings took hold. I feel like this song is his taking responsibility for each pill he took and his owning up to his mistakes and in the end his plea to others to not follow in the trappings of this world. He did a lot of good but also a lot of not so good things in his life and this song and video show his regret, like the end of Schindler’s List Johnny wished he would have done more good things.
@@stevebounds4285 yeah but in his gen, being a believer in god meant different things than it does today for the vast unwashed masses, for which so-called belief appears utterly contrived, and even outright false in many cases
😋
The word is honest or human. We're all fucked up were all sinners. J cash knew it he did lot of drugs cheated slept arround in the end found hope and redemption what he done was shit. Make amends. Personally I'm not gonna be shiity to everyone I meet and think I can ask for grace later. I'm gonna do it now. But my life is fsr more blessed than jonny cash. He had problems issues and sins. Get beaten as a child scars you. Abused as a pre teen beaten up canuaebyour different changes a person. The best of us don't hate over come and try to change others. Because we were right and hate is wrong
Yep!! Without Christ, there can only be sorrow and lack of hope!! Strangely enough, it only takes a few days to read the HB, which will CHANGE ONES WHOLE LIFE!!
You are correct...when he showed his daughter this video, she said it looked like a goodbye, and he said it was...he lost his wife, who was in the video, a short time after this, and died a few months after that. This is one of the most powerful videos ever made. R.I.P. to a legend...
Just to add some details; The Hurt audio was released in 2002. The video was filmed Feb. 2003 & released March 2003. Both Johnny & June were in poor health. She'd been upstairs, resting, became worried he was overworking & came down to check on him. June standing on the stairs, looking over him, was so touching, they decided to leave it in. June died May 15, 2003. In his final interview (Aug. 20, 2003) Johnny said June "loved the Hurt video & I'm so glad she lived long enough to see it do what it did & get the attention it got. Johnny died Sept. 12, 2003.
@@tommccafferty5591 You mean when it came out...I hope? She looks very much alive in the video!
@@BetterGreta13 Whether he meant recorded or released, he's wrong. June died 2 months after the video was released.
@@BetterGreta13 you are correct.
@@tommccafferty5591 Her ghost was so realistic though.
After spending over 40+years in the funeral industry, I can tell you he closed the piano the same way I have closed a casket of someone I have loved.
That was the feeling I always got by watching this.
That's a powerful image...and very sad too...
Wonderful observation, soo very true, thank you!
An observation missed by many.
oh my...
When Trent Reznor heard Johnny Cash’s cover of the song, he said “That song isn’t mine anymore” What a compliment to the Man in Black. I get chills every time I hear it.
Trent Reznor is a whinging colostomy bag. This version of this song is fantastic. The original is unremarkable noise. If you like NIN, that's okay. You're allowed to be wrong.
Cool story bro…
@@ivanf4023 The 'noise' you're talking is symbolism for isolation and loss. It is disturbing that you don't pay respect the original creating movement. I like JC's version, but I do respect the original too.
@@ivanf4023 I think you have misunderstood Reznor's comment. The song was originally about heroin addiction. This is a subject Cash knew well. There is a live NIN version with Bowie guesting on stage that is very powerful. Cash's version is also very powerful.
@@ivanf4023Bro what are you talking about he literally said Cash's version was better how was that whinging? He appreciated the song so much he basically gave his song to Johnny. What are you even angry about dude?
I've watched this video dozens of times since it was released and it STILL brings me to tears, especially knowing the context of where he was in his life at the time. Gawd, the snippets with June standing behind him, knowing THEIR history, knowing she passed just a short time later, with him following her not long after...omg, it tears my heart to shreds. This song, this video...these are what music is about.
Well said 😢
It’s a rarity I don’t tear up
One of the most powerful swansongs of an artist I have ever seen. Sad, profoundly meaningful and definitely makes you think about life (and death).
This song is the ultimate example that music isn’t about technical perfection, it’s about making your audience feel something
You’re 100% right. To me that’s one of the most powerful performances I’ve seen in my 60 years. It grabs me in the feels every time I hear it and even more so when combined with the masterful video.
Dam this song makes you feel something. Its funny, if i saw this as a child or teenager i would not have thought it was remarkable. Its almost like you need to experience pain to understand this song. Johnny's version on this song is also very different to the NIN version.
@@anthonyreynolds3418 An covered Nine Inch Nails song Trent Rezner said no longer belongs to them,it was redone so well.
at the end he can say a lot... but before he liked money and a good life...
This song gets me every time.
19 years later, this song is still an emotional kick in the chest.
I fully agree. Cannot always stand it when I'm busy. But when I let it in, it really has impact.
Oh wow its been that long already...😢
This song is 29 years old
@@DustyBleeker not this version
@@crom1701 Thats not what you wrote. You wrote this song.
Rick Ruben pushed this song on Johnny Cash to record it. It's the best cover ever, in my opinion. I heard other vocal teachers say his voice wasn't up to par. He put wisdom in this song with his age. RIP Johnny Cash.
When you said you were going to react to his stage presence I knew you were going to be in for a ride because in this song especially johnny cash’s voice is the only stage presence that he needs and the small details of the music video like the piano closing just amplify the experience of realizing that this is truly the end for this legend
"In 2002, Johnny Cash covered "Hurt" to commercial and critical acclaim. The related music video is considered one of the greatest of all time by publications such as NME. Reznor praised Cash's interpretation of the song for its "sincerity and meaning", going so far as to say "that song isn't mine anymore" This was Johnny's farewell. This song still brings tears to my eyes. He knew he was near the end and wanted to gift the world with one last song that touched him.
Amen
Bang on mate, this one gets me every time too, and I was into it when NIN released it. The lady is right, John has brought us "closer to God" with this one.
Not quite as he actually didn't want to cover the song but had to be prodded by his producer three times in listening packages CDs then just sit down read the lyrics. Was more the producer picked the song than Cash. Many videos on this including Reznor
@@terryarmbruster9719 so wtf are you trying to say here ???? really
@@captaincrunch72 He's trying to say that Rick Rubin, more than anyone, is responsible for the song choice. And Johnny Cash with his masterful performance, made the song his own. That's all.....
No acting, just simple authentic talent. A legend.
He had nothing to prove…total “this is me”…he was flawed and loved…😭
I go to tears every time I watch this video. Here was a man who knew he was close to death (he had been in constant physical pain for well over 10 years before he cut this song) and his message rings so true: you can not take anything with you.
Still one of the most powerful performances of all time, forget the musical quality, just concentrate on the meaning behind the words, pure brilliance.
That’s what good song writers do.
Who would have thought Johnny Cash covering a Nine Inch Nails song would do THIS?
@qwkimball Rick Rubin saw it. You should check out the story of how this song was made.
@@estarriol7 Thanks. I will.
I am a 75 year old guy that can relate to a lot of What Johnny projected in his singing. It is a powerful video with an unmistakable message. Tear jerker always. I watch a lot of reactors and have to say that your response to this video was one of the most soul satisfying and uplifting messages I have heard in a long time. Thank you and God bless
Jesus saves
Wishing many great years to you young man
I to an elderly man, have watch many of these reactions of this video. Every time it opens up tremendous feelings that are otherwise dampened.
Well said.
I plan to post this in the main thread also, but it is fitting here as well: 67 years old here. I grew up with Johnny Cash as an icon in our household. Heard his story, heard his music, and even had a personal connection to him through a man he credited for a part of his success. "On August 13, 1970, Johnny Cash performed a benefit concert in LaFayette, GA which attracted more than 12,000 people. The concert raised $75,000 (almost a half million today) to pay off the debt for Lafayette High School's football stadium." That was where I started high school less than three weeks after that concert in the stadium. All that is to say that this video hits you harder when you really know the history of the man and his struggles with addiction. He came to our town to thank the man, Sheriff Ralph Jones, who had helped Johnny finally get into the recovery he needed so much. Ralph was one of several, but Johnny was grateful enough to come back and raise the money just because he asked Ralph what he could do to help repay him. And while Johnny was not MY music at that time, he was a man I respected as an artist and a man who fought his demons. Janet's reaction video is the best I have seen to this song, and I have seen a few. Too much cannot be said about how Johnny's amazing end-of-life performance is combined with amazing cinmatography to punch you in the gut and bring tears to your eyes. I bawled the first time I watched this video for the first time, and my eyes still fill up every time I see it again. And knowing that it can affect even those who didn't grow up in the era of his early days in music gives me hope that the legend and music of Johnny Cash will never die. He did a lot of great music in his life, but nothing can beat the way he signed off from the industry he influenced so powerfully.
That you watched the entire video without interruption says so much. Most reaction videos break the song up several times for comment. Thank you for playing it all and taking it in before you reviewed the piece. It shows massive respect between Artists. The song never fails to bring tears to my eyes. It is a powerful and fitting ending to a awesome career.
Yes, I think if the video had been interrupted, I probably would have left, but seeing the video and reaction afterward produced the most genuine reaction I've seen yet. Thank you, Confident Singer, for voicing what we all felt when we first watched this video.
Perhaps move the advertisement break until after the song is finished? Currently it falls just before the piano lid moment
@@harveywetdog Channels have no control over ads.
@@ChrisPage68 oh, they give me the chance to position the mid roll ads in videos over 8 mins long
I feel the same way.
Thank you for showing your vulnerability, transparency, and faith to your audience. It's okay to not be able to dissect this video after watching it. It's so powerful and it hits everyone in a slightly different way. It is clearly the most powerful cover song ever sung by an artist
you cut it right with your interpretaion
Beautifully said, thank you for your testimony
The best song cover ever! WOW, what Johnny did here is just amazing!!
The videographer amplified the message of this song greatly with his original footage, vintage footage and choice of location in the closed museum of Cash's life. He captured Johnny's famous dead stare, his sense of loss and inserted that epic movie line right between the verses. I can't give enough credit to this video team as well as Johnny's authenticity and willingness to leave this amazing final message.
The small white house in the old video footage was his father's house just thought I'd throw that out there case you didn't know
Not a movie line. That particular clip is from "Little House on the Prairie" when him & June did a special episode.
Mark Romanek, who directed the video, had done a lot of work for Nine Inch Nails in the past.
The video was every bit as important to this masterpiece. I don't know if it won any awards but it should have.
I would just call this a Master Class. The videographer and Johnny had a story to tell and did it perfectly. RIP John.
I watch a fair amount of music videos but no more than anybody else. I've seen this, without exaggeration, at least 100 times. Johnny's shaking hand while pouring out his wine as a symbol of his life coming to a close finally got to me. Then, when he covers the keys, we know it's for the last time. I'm not overtly emotional but it made me tear up. "Everyone I know goes away in the end." Though Trent Reznor wrote this brilliant song, Johnny made it his and then he gave it to us as his parting gift. Now it belongs to all of us. Does anybody else think this way?
I do. I think probably a lot of people do. This is certainly the best cover ever, and one of the all-time great songs. I am glad he lived to see it was making a huge impact.
The greatest performance ever. Makes me cry EVERY time. No matter how many times I see it.
As a longtime fan of Johnny I believe this is his most personal and intimate performance. As he says “goodbye” we are privileged to walk with him on a portion of this journey that all of us will take one day. For me it is my hope in Christ that gives me comfort and hope as I approach that final day.
This is so great. The woman starts by saying she was going to see if he can “bring it.” Fast forward to the end and she is obviously disturbed and on the verge of tears. What you witnessed was greatness. She apparently had no Idea who this was. He had been displaying it for years and years.
ikr? When she said that I was thinking "Oh, you're definitely going to get stage presence, turned up to 11!"
He brought it. He cut her in half. He did that to us all.
I saw this video when it first came out in 2002(?) and was stunned, speechless, blown away. I always liked Johnny’s music, even tho I was never a country music fan…I appreciate genius in any genre. Today, this still is (I agree with most reviewers) probably the greatest music video ever made. I’ve never witnessed anyone seeing it without being incredibly moved, as you were as well. For the past few years, as my father, who grew up not far from Johnny, poor and had to work hard to rise in the world, get old and filled with regrets and sadness. My father and Johnny as old men also have an uncanny resemblance to one another…and that makes it even more powerful to me. I wanted to show it to him, but felt it would be too cruel…even tho the lyrics were fitting for him. So, I never did. I can’t listen to this without tearing up from the beautiful performance, and the personal memories it brings for me as well. Thank you Trent Reznor for writing this amazing song and giving permission for Johnny to cover it. Thank you, The Man in Black, for your genius, your talent, and all you gave this world. I appreciate you doing this video and showing your true emotion to it as well, thank you.
Agree with all your comments about Cash and this video. I am in my late 60's. i definitely relate to this masterpiece. Each time I view I get something more from it. As we are all slip sliding away.
@@williamcooper9843 It's actually a cover song, Nine Inch Nails did this song. Johnny had no interest in the song at first but his producer kept pushing it..
You’re transformation from your opening comments to your realization after watching the video is, in my opinion, would make Johnny Cash humble and proud.
This video never fails to affect me strongly. This is a song sung by a man that has known pain in his life, and realizes that he also caused pain in others. Johnny expresses, for himself and all of us, the profound regret that comes from sacrificing the things that are truly important in pursuit of accomplishments that turn out to be just a pile of dirt. We all think to ourselves "If I could just start over, I would be a better man/husband/father." In the end, he closes that piano like he was closing a coffin. Saying goodbye to the music that had been his life's work. It is just incomprehensibly sad. I can't go back to be a better husband, either. But each time I see this video I vow again to be a better husband going forward. God bless Johnny Cash.
I had the same reaction seeing Johnny's weathered hands closing the piano.
Well said, straight from the heart.
Everyone was yelling, singing and partying like crazy. Then Mr Cash walked out. Total silence Complete respect. He took his time going to the mike and didn't say a word for about a minute. Still, complete silence. When he finished singing, the roof was raised by the applause. There were cowboys and suits and goths and rockers there. I can't think of any other artist that could bring all this together like he did in his final years. I love the fact that you made your statement on the foundation of repentance. Very few do these days as it is not highly regarded anymore. But Mr Cash spent a great deal of his life seeking and believing in repentance so much so that he was blessed with a greater life after than in his wild days. This is the first I found of you and how amazing. 👍
Wonderful reaction. I have heard this song 100 times and tears flow each and every time. It is hauntingly beautiful. The original Nine Inch Nails version is a classic. Cash’s version is a masterpiece.
John was a master. I believe that everything in this video is on purpose. Many of these shots are overwhelming and soul - touching!!! are you speechless??? He was saying goodbye... Thank God we had John as long as we did. AND we have this film and music CD's and albums... GOD has blessed you in so many ways. WE do have a savior. His love is so great and he forgives.
congratulations on discovering this beautiful and heartbreaking music video. thats probably the best goodbye video ever created. and he knew it was his goodbye.
A masterwork that ended any question of whether "covers" were in any way inferior to a performer doing their own work. One can find another's words that say what you need to say, better than you could. Eulogies are written by others. But here, Johnny performs his own. Its astonishing as a work of self revealing artistry and humility.
Trent Reznor wasn't on board with this cover being done at first, apparently. And then he heard it and was like "well, it's Johnny's song now."
@@chrisd7047 it was the video that won him over I remember from the interview he said when he first heard Johnny's version he wasn't comfortable with it "like watching someone sleeping with your girlfriend" but after watching the video as well he said it felt like it no longer belong to him
@@jacobleyshon1399 Ah. nice.
In my opinion, 99 times out of a 100 covers rarely compare well to the original but on the odd occasion when an artist gets it right, like here (when I say right, I mean on this occasion, perfection) its magical. This a perfect match of artist, song and video.
Your long pause at the end, was all you needed to say. This rendition is beyond stage presence or performance. And the gravity of it, speaks to most folks.
I knew from your demeanor or stage presence at the beginning of this video and you had no idea what you were in for. You did a good job and you paid it the respected that is deserved.
This is one of the most emotional videos I've ever watched. No one could have done a better job than Johnny Cash. RIP
I am not ashamed to say that this song is really the only song I know that can make me cry. I don’t know what it is exactly but it hits me hard every time I listen to it.
Many who watch this don’t stay till the very end when he closes the piano. Then often miss the significance of closing the piano. You clearly got it. All of it
The final gesture of closing the piano and caressing the shallow curve is much like the final touch of lovingly, forlornly,, saying farewell to a loved one in a casket. 🥺
The funny thing about this song cover is that there are no corrections or constructive criticisms to be had. It's just perfect.
Janet, Love you, and your reactions. "Depressing", I say no... It was "Sad", but it was "uplifting" when you said your eternity was secured. Johnny was a Christian too. Thank God, He sent us a "SAVIOR" !! Keep them coming !!
Your reaction to this song is very familiar. First time I (and like 15 of my friends) heard this song was by chance. My night shift crew were hanging out after shift having a bit of a Friday night party. It was loud, a few groups spread out around the house talking and drinking. This song had just came out amd came on the radio. by the time the song was over everyone was gathered around the stereo in complete silence. Metal heads, rap fans, country Boys. All just in awe at the amazing, beautiful thing we had just witnessed.
This version of this song has made me cry more than everything else combined
I'm 72 years old. Been singing and playing guitar for years. Had some close calls with death the last few years. This song always gets me
Although this was a very personal song for its writer, Trent Reznor of the Industrial Rock band, Nine Inch Nails, it's been taken and reworked many times, in many genres. This, though, is the one that really uses Trent's words, mixed with a great selection of imagery, to make the song shine brightest. And, without fail, always get a tear from my eye. A masterpiece.
Trent also said “I wasn’t prepared for what I saw, and it really then, wasn’t my song anymore.” after seeing and hearing Jonny's cover. Jonny's cover meant more to Trent then winning any award.
It says a lot when Trent said it wasn’t his song anymore, and he didn’t mean it in a negative way.
I want Trent to cover this song in 20 years.
As you get older this song will open your heart and mind to life and how precious it is.
When the original writer/performer says that this is your song now, you know he nailed it. This is the greatest cover ever done in my opinion. This is just one of those that hits way harder than the original. This is basically his goodbye. Showing the regrets you have, when you are near the end. It was the important things that he ignored and the mistakes he made that made this hit so hard
I cry every time I see the video for this song. I can listen to it without reacting like this, but the visuals combined with the song are just as raw as it gets. Pretty much everyone who isn't a child has this same reaction to it, it gets right to the core of the human condition in a way that I've never seen any other song and video do. Trent Reznor himself had this same reaction to it, liking what he heard when he first listened to it, but not quite knowing what to think, but then seeing the video and realizing that his song was no longer his, that it had grown beyond a wistful tragedy song about the depression and loneliness of a young man in a bleak situation, and into something more fundamentally powerful: the coming to terms with one's own mortality as we near the end of our lives, and how the legacy we leave behind can seem so hollow and empty, which is a painful reality that we all have to experience.
I'm a huge Johnny Cash fan, and this song and video hit me so hard. I can't watch it without crying. Johnny delivered this song with so much true feeling that it makes us join in his pain. A true music legend and I look forward to meeting him in Heaven!
Daddy sang bass
This reaction was so incredibly respectful and insightful. You handled a very difficult issue with the reverence that it deserved and you, like myself, understand some very deep and profound spiritual truths. Thank you so much for your integrity and empathy.
This always brings tears to my eyes. Johnny didn't have the easiest life for all the stardom. Some of that he brought on himself and he didn't blame anyone for that. The original by NiN was a great song, but as Trent Reznor said after this was released, it was no longer his song.
I'm a NiN fan and this song was always a punch in the heart but Johny's version follows that with a kick right in the soul. Can't blame Trent for saying it was no longer his song. The videography in this was bloody amazing too
The last line of the song is,I feel, so powerful in a positive way. I know Johnny didn't write the lyrics, but you could feel the way he sang them that they were his words. "If I could start again, a million miles away, I would keep myself, I would find a way". In the end he at least knew himself and accepted that for the mess, it's who he was created to be, for better or worse and he could be no one else. It would be tragic if at the end of his life he didn't know himself or who God had created or was in denial as to how he is or wishing for another go around because he feels he'd be better. It's tragic to see someone spend a full life as themselves and not know who they are or what they were created to be. I fall short every day, but I live in the grace to still know who I am, quirks and all. God bless.
Trent Reznor who originally wrote and performed this song was protective of it because it was personal. When he was sent a raw copy of Johnny singing he realized that he wrote this song for Johnny that it's his song now and he gave his blessing
R.I.P. ❤🙏 He was real from start to finish I loved him and June. God Bless your reaction it was real too🙏
Your response was very heartfelt and I appreciated your comments. Thank you. Because Johnny Cash was such an authentic and unpretentious artist, and because he was a Believer that understood his own history of failings, this song hits home more powerfully than any performance I’ve experienced. It causes me to reflect on my own life and what really matters at the end.
That is seriously the most honest and emotional reaction I've seen. Others have said that when he closed that piano cover that he was, indeed, saying goodbye. He never opened it again. Johnny was a Master performer, and although I'm not a country music fan, I was always a Johnny Cash fan. He lived a hard life, but he lived a life ... and he will be remembered. Even the composer of this song said that this song now belongs to Johnny. Thank you for sharing your vulnerability and emotions with us. I wrote a poem to the music of this song that I hope will be read at my funeral. I will enter my seventh decade next year.
I can not count how many times I've seen this video each time I watch it I promise myself to keep it together however every time I tear up RIP Johnny Cash(The Man In Black) Heavens got one hell of a band!
Physically cannot get through this song without just crying tears down my face.
Johnny’s goodbye still touches me, especially after my folks went to Heaven just weeks apart. Johnny couldn’t be without the love of his life, and neither could my Dad.
I don't think there's anything more captivating from an artist than vulnerability and honesty. That fearless, honest connection to the music and the audience is a very powerful thing. I think this was one of the most vulnerable and honest times in Mr. Cash's life.
This song helped me gain nothing but respect for the man and I hope he is at peace
"Hurt" somehow crossed my path again today and it hurt as much as it always did. After that I've been on a binge watch of people reacting to it. Everyone I've seen reacting to it "broke", for all of them it seemed like it stopped being a reaction and analysis video and it just became processing raw emotion. I've never seen another song do that to people. Every last video on the binge also broke me again, I cried on each one. This rendition is truly something else.
There is a bittersweet blessing in growing old.... only 56 but I have more sand gone than left, friends and family dead, but Johnny here was so nakedly open, brings you to tears,,, for me, only Jesus gives hope, either way, Johnny Cash was awesome...
You looked and reacted excactly like the rest of us, when we saw the video for the first time. 😢 This is so strong and powerfull that it’s beyond belief. 🙏🏼
Mr Cash will go down as one of the greatest musicians to ever grace the stage. His legend will live forever!
That videoclip just makes the whole song so much more emotional. After the whole song just brings you to tears...it ends with moments of silence...that piano lid closing. It almost feels like a coffin lid.
Lovely thoughts and words of faith and hope for such a sad yet truthful song and video from the man in black. He reminds us as did Solomon that the things of this world are fleeting and that what truly matters at the end is how we have lived. Certainly without Faith and Hope in Christ all would indeed be lost. Thank you for sharing. Blessings And Best Wishes 🙏 ❤️
Johnny knew what it was to be a recipient of undeserved grace. The series of songs he sang at the end of his life underscored that. He believed as you believe and he knew where he was going and to Whom he was going. The song is like a Psalm when Johnny put his stamp on it. And speaking of stage presence... I immediately thought, when you first mentioned it... you simply have no idea. Now you do.
The part of the video where he alternates striking the piano key with alternating the nail being driven into Our Lord is so painful and yet such perfect clarity.
She just met the man in black, the legend among legends. I can thank my grandmother for introducing me to his music at an early age
He only word he changed in the cover was Crown of Shit to Crown of Thorns... to make it more biblical
What a life lived and such a way to say goodbye. Just an increasable way to express emotions and how a song can have so many meanings in ones life. This video was very well done and how sad in a way where June is looking down at him tell this story. Thank you Johnny for all you left us. Such a great reaction and post. As always stay safe and much love.
Thank you for the holiness of that silence. Your demeanor and analysis were flawless.
Although this song was not written by Johnny Cash, I think it sums up how he felt at the end of his life and indeed was a goodbye song to all of us. I grew up with Johnny Cash and watched his weekly TV show back in the day. To me he was the coolest man on the planet and I loved to dress in all black just to emulate him and did so for many years. He changed country music and brought it into the modern era. He was a rebel who had a hard life, although a successful one. He struggled with alcoholism, fame and his faith. He really wanted to be a good man and make a difference in the world but was constantly fighting his demons along the way. He was the real deal. If you listen to the song Man In Black, I think it sums up what Johnny Cash was really all about.
“Hurt” is such a poignant song, written by Nine Inch Nails. June’s sorrowful presence in the video speaks volumes. Maybe she knew she was about to die before Johnny, and was concerned about her husband’s wellbeing? Since they had a lasting, loving marriage, he died from a broken heart not long after June’s death. Like you said, possessions mean nothing in the end: Christ’s gift of salvation saves us from an eternity separated from God. Ironically, Johnny and June’s lake house burned to the ground after Barry Gibb purchased it. I cried the first time I watched this video. It was produced perfectly, as his possessions were broken, and his museum appeared to be in disrepair. Thank you for taking time to interpret this amazing video.
I grew up on Johnny and can’t not shed a tear. He took Trent Reznor’s song to a new place. Another song like this emotionally would be Warren Zevon’s “Keep Me in Your Heart For a While.”
Music is supposed to move you, it may move you to laugh, it may move you to cry. Johnny Cash could create worlds with his music and we were invited in to join him.
Johnny lived a hard life, always searching for that "missing piece" as you put it. He found it eventually, as have you. As I get older, this song makes me cry more and more. Everything goes away, at some point. And it all ends up being just "an empire of dirt". Lynn Swan told a story about the aftermath of his first Superbowl victory with the Steelers. He said that he went back to his hotel room and cried. Here he had achieved the pinnacle of his profession, but he still felt empty inside. I think that is what Johnny is trying to say here, in part. For all he had achieved, at the end, it meant nothing. And all that was left was what awaited him after.
Im sure i wasnt the only person who smirked a little when she was explaining what she would be looking for at the start of the video...Cash was presence personified. Love seeing new listeners find his music.
Silence speaks volumes. The respect you pay in watching this in its entirity demonstrates the power of Johnny Cash's presence. You said it yourself, it needs no techniques or anything else when it's something that is real & it does not get much more real than when someone is nearing the end & they have the ability to be open & honest & genuine. All that is captured flawlessly in this performance which is why it touches sooooo many people & your reaction captures a million other people's feelings. That is the "missing piece". Not religion or superstition or anything else. Just cold light of day honesty & acceptance of the circle of life & being prepared to share it. Thank you for taking the time to share your feelings with us.
I think what makes this video and this version of the song so powerful is that Johnny and the director weren't afraid to show the world Johnny's condition at the time. You saw the weight of all those years starkly on his face and even in his hands. The performance was amazing, but the fact that Johnny wasn't hiding behind photos and videos of himself as a younger man is what makes it so powerful. You clearly saw a man near the end of his life who knew he was near the end and he wanted the world to see it.
5.9 Million views for Devin Townsend - kingdom EMGTV performance. Talent, confidence, stage craft, amazing vocals, guitar playing & comedic value in one. Stage Performance of the highest order.
Your transformation while experiencing this song is so compelling. Thanks for sharing.
I can't watch or listen without tearing up... Johnny is a legend.
Johnny Cash was a very religious man, I remember as a child my grandfather playing Johnny Cash and His music always appealed to me even though i'm not a country music fan. This video though just shows how talented and how spiritual the man was, and I am not religious. This truly is a masterpiece and the crowning glory of his life's work. the fact that 20 years later this still inspires and confronts us and our own mortality is testament to that. Well played Johnny, well played.
Legend. He knew he was near his end and left us one more gift.
I remember listening to Johnny as a kid in the 60’s, when he was young and in with the rowdy crowd. Him closing the piano was him saying goodbye for sure. Now I’m there thinking about my long life. Everyone I know goes away in the end. Yep, won’t be long for me.
Beautiful reaction to one of the greatest pieces of music ever recorded.
It's a total masterpiece that I'll literally never get tired of listening to until the end of my days...... your reaction is perfectly understandable/how it should be. Strange days for sure. PEACE.
" _It feels silly, to be talking about stage presence, now_ ". The guy just gave a masterclass in showing his soul.
Yall need to see and hear some of his earlier stuff, this man was a master story teller
this is Johnny Cash at his most heart wrenching. Extremely moving.
I think you’re correct about being able to feel when your time is coming. My grandmother knew it. My Mother knew it. My father knew it. They wait for me I know. This world has lost its luster but I just can’t give up on it just yet.
This is my first time on your channel. Thank you for such a heartfelt reaction to this epic song. Reading between the lines, you seemed to be thinking or saying “This couldn’t have been coached.” If so, I respect that. Johnny’s catalog is rife with humor and sadness both, in a nut shell: humanity. I hope you will explore some of his other work.
No one will make people stop & take stock of your life with this song like Mr Johnny Cash.
Real and raw emotion is not depressing, even bursting into tears, as i always do when hearing this is not depressing , itis REAL, its real in a world filled to overflowing with fake This reminds us we are human beings, not simply consumers ❤to all my fellow humans
When I was in love and heartbroken, it was Trent; 'Perfect Drug'. When I was feeling edgy and rebellious, it was 'Head like a hole'. Decades later I am hearing this song for the first and second time. I was never a big NiN or Johnny Cash fan but here am, old and tired, with an attic full of a life I never look at or think about anymore. Great song, powerful imagery, and thoughtful reaction.
Your pause after seeing the video of Mr Cash singing actually said it all. There are no words to describe the feeling of witnessing a person so deeply hurt and mourning his lost life and regrets. When I first saw the video I hurt in my heart for him. And there are so many people in our world who could share the same. I thank the Lord for the gift of salvation to live again, and for giving us those who are able to open our eyes to what is inevitably most important. Thank you for sharing 😢
I turned 75 on November 29th of this year. I became a folk singer of some note when I came back from Vietnam. I was never a Johnny Cash "Fan" but I appreciated his music for it's raw presence and passion. I would say that "Hurt" seems to have been written as an "homage" not only to the music of Johnny Cash but also the sometimes rocky road that was his life. I believe this is his finest work and in no small measure due to the videographer. Truly incredible work......
Thank you for a respectful reaction vid. When you started I thought, "this isn't what she thinks it is." And I was so glad you weren't silly about it. Your silence at the end was really appropriate.
I cry when I hear the song every time. Absolute respect to Trent, he made it happen.
Johnny Cash is one of few singers whose voice got better as he became older. He certainly lived a life that covered a broad range of emotions and experiences. I miss Johnny Cash.
I'm 65, was aware of and appreciated Johnny since a kid but never really a fan, when I found this cover a few years ago I found my self a leaking mess and fell into a few days of introspection, not surprised you were at a loss for words as he made this rendition a deeply profound and personal fare thee well, RIP Mr. Cash. Thank you OP for this well done consideration, cheers from Canada :)
Back in the early 1970s on a California beach I met the West Coast director of Johnny Cash's television show. When we talked about Cash, he said something I will never forget. The Cash you see on television, he said, is the real Cash. They're no difference between the public and private man. Perhaps that's one reason he impacts people so powerfully. They know he is real.
The song is powerful. As one walks through the minefield of life, sad realities occur. One can call them errors, or mistakes, but sometimes there were no other options. Older people can relate to the dilemma of life. Most addicts become what they are from attempts to self medicate the pain of their life away. Cash was more of a brother than my brother.
YES❣️As occasionally or flat out constantly the PAIN is larger than LIFE.....
I understand why she struggles to explain the song without being emotionlly caught up in it. It is poignant & has strong echoes of regret about Cash’s life being deeply personal & likely sensing his imminent death. It is captivating but at the same time heart breaking & I cannot think of anyone who could sing it better living or dead. A masterpiece
Hands down, one of the greatest songs ever recorded by anyone, ever.