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Tyler Bradford

Caroline Reynolds

ENG 1201

12 February 2022

Analyzing Visual Texts

The lyrics of the song “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails, eventually (covered) by Johnny Cash,

are almost identical. However, when you look at their music videos, which came out in 2009 and

2019 respectively, there are stark differences in the meanings each artist gives to their versions of

the song. In the Nine Inch Nails video, there is an eerie and uncanny mood set by using a black

and white filter, images of death and suffering, and very hushed vocals. Johnny Cash's rendition

of "Hurt" not only gives a new perspective on the Nine Inch Nails song, but also brings the song

into the mainstream music industry and gains more popularity among a larger audience. Johnny

Cash's version of the song is a slightly different take of the song. Instead of focusing on the bad

things of the world, he focuses on the reminiscent feeling he has as he looks back on his life.

The Nine Inch Nails music video is a recording of a live performance by the band.

During this performance a projector screen is dropped in front of the main singer, Reznor, and

multiple images are projected onto the screen, including people crying, atomic bomb explosions,

a snake, and a video of a fox decomposing in reverse. All of these images cause a sense of

sadness in the audience. In Johnny Cash’s music video, he is sitting at a piano in his home and

reminiscing about his life. To further convey his emotions into the hearts of his audience, there

are clips from when he was younger to remind him and his fans of his life.
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The Nine Inch Nails music video starts off with an almost twilight mood that focuses on

the atrocities of man and creates a very dreary atmosphere. Throughout the music video the

director uses a black and white filter, setting the tone for the song itself with the air of an old

Hollywood thriller film. Then, the music video starts to show different images, ranging from war

injuries, dead animals, and atomic bomb explosions, all contributing a sense of death and an

eeriness to the video and song. The other big factor contributing to the supernatural feel of this

music video is the main singer's voice, but more specifically his volume. The singer is muffled

throughout the entire video, requiring the audience to listen very intently, calling attention to the

factors previously mentioned. These techniques used in the music video help to enforce the

message that Nine Inch Nails is trying to give in their song, that the world is a painful and dreary

place.

Johnny Cash took a different interpretation of the song when he made his own music

video. Cash approaches the song as a reflection of his life. Cash, in stark contrast to the Nine

Inch Nails version, makes his voice the focus of his music video. By making his voice more

prominent, Cash causes the listener to feel as if they are in a hectic whirlwind of memories from

the great artist’s life. Cash also uses a volley of images, however instead of sad images he uses

old pictures and clips of himself from the past. Another way Cash’s video is different is he puts

explicit emphasis on certain verses. For example, the last verse Cash sings in the song is “If I

could start again, a million miles away, I would keep myself, I would find a way.”, this line really

drives his message that he misses his old life and he wishes he had done things differently.

In both of these music videos the artists use pathos to emphasize their messages. Nine

Inch Nails appeals to pathos through the different eerie aspects in their video as mentioned

before, giving a sense of sadness and desolation. However, in Johnny Cash’s rendition, he
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appeals to pathos by evoking the memories of his career and life which bring powerful emotions

out of himself and also his audience. Cash’s audience ranges from people who have always been

attracted to his original sound, but with his rendition of “Hurt” he also attracted younger

audiences and people who listened to the mainstream country-rock genre. Nine Inch Nails’

audience is mainly people who enjoy more alternative rock styles, however this song in

particular could be applied to all people, and therefore broadens the spectrum of people who this

song can resonate with.

“Hurt” is a very powerful song created by Nine Inch Nails. When their music video for

the song came out it was a sad eerie song about life and the world. However, when Johnny Cash

did his own cover and music video a decade later, his approach shifted. Switching the focus onto

his life, he transforms the song into something completely different. He appeals to people from

not only his fanbase but also everyday music listeners because he is remembering his life which

had such a large impact on the entire music industry. Both renditions of this song do excellent

jobs of evoking strong emotions from their separate audiences in very meaningful ways.
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Work Cited

Nine Inch Nails Hurt Official Video - YouTube, YouTube, Sep 12, 2009.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbHz9p7Z4OU.

Cash, Johnny - "Hurt (Official Music Video)" - Youtube, YouTube, Sep 13, 2019.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AHCfZTRGiI.