Hurt vs. Hurt

Song covers are frequently an insult to the original, but there is at least one exception.

I would generally prescribe to the idea that song covers will always be inferior to the original for very particular reasons. A cover song intrinsically suffers from inevitable comparisons to the song that inspired it. If a cover is too similar to the original it is un-creative and if it is too far from the original it loses its foundation. Additionally, a covering artist can never re-kindle the emotion or re-stage the situation that inspired the artistic impression. In short, you simply cannot be creative when covering.

There is only one example that I know of that an refute this theory. Trent Reznor's "Hurt" featured on "The Downward Spiral" and still stands as one of the most moving songs in the Nine Inch Nails back catalogue. This song was famously covered by the late Johnny Cash and as such, fans from each side have been strenuously debating about which version is 'better'. Close listening to both songs highlights many differences in tone, musical arrangement and some slight lyrical changes. These contrasts however, belie the appropriateness of the song for both artists.

The Nine Inch Nails version of this song builds quietly towards a final crashing finale. Reznor's final declaration creates a bitter-sweet moment of despair and resignation to this despair. The song has a consistently dark tone that underlines the consistent depression experienced by the writer. Rather than a conclusion, this song ends as an prelude to future artistic expression. Cash's version has a contrasting dynamic. This song builds and falls between verse and chorus, highlighting Cash's rise and fall throughout his life. His slow increase in popularity, eventual meteoric rise, drug addiction and fall are all encompassed in the arrangement of "Hurt". A conclusion is evident in this version and the resignation of the final line becomes acceptance for Cash. Amazingly, both of these versions work equally well for each artist, highlighting a singular connection between them.

Reznor put it best himself when he stated that the two are "different, but every bit as pure."

-The English Student