AMERICAN lV: The Man Comes Around

The Man Comes Around is poised as the next chapter in Cash's darkling fairy tale, the fourth in an ongoing series of most covers in albums on which he gives material by some of today’s most talented or bestselling artists his own aged slant.

Now at this time Johnny Cash made a song “Hurt”  was a clever novelty made impressive overwhelming emotion. Cash's renditions of songs like Nick Cave’s "The Mercy Seat" and Leonard Cohen’s "Bird on a Wire" weren't so surprising, but far more powerful, as the spirit of those songs was so close to his own. The simple truth, of course, is that Cash’s talent is such that he can elevate nearly any song to which he turns his ear. But on this, his fourth go-round on the same theme, it hardly seems necessary anymore. The songs of this record are taken from the most disparate ends of the musical spectrum, to no apparent end but show that he can do it. Song hurt Lyrics (Hurt)

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 am 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