Home
Creators
Search Recent Random
Posts
Search DMs Popular Hash Lookup Tags Random
Importer
Import FAQ
Register Favorites Keys Review DMs Logout
Community
Telegram ThePornDude
Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout

What do you want to see for "Hurt"? (Patreon)

Published:
2021-07-01 16:00:08
Edited:
2023-08-31 14:10:42
Imported:
2026-09
Tags:

Content

Being the last track of TDS and one of the most beloved and iconic NIN ballads, I think Hurt deserves a bit more consideration. It's also not a track that I personally listened to a lot when I was young, and I'd really love to hear from you about what grabs you about it, what interests you about it.

Do you have any questions you'd like answered about Hurt? Are you more curious about the sounds, the harmonies, a certain part like the chorus or a chord or the very end? Hidden layers? A compositional comparison to the Johnny Cash version and/or other covers? "Reactionalyses" to specific live performances? etc.

Can't wait to hear from y'all! 

Files

Comments

Eugene Leeds

I live for this song and I request you stick with your magic as I'm curious about it all. I do request however that you leave the Cash comparisons for a separate video as there's a lot to unpack there and there's plenty to say about the OG.

Melody Klein

I'm good with whatever, I just wanna note that while I absolutely love the original, I never liked the Johnny Cash version, so the less that cover is mentioned, the better. :p

Samtallic

it might be interesting to compare the og to some if the deviations NiN has released - Hurt (Quiet), Hurt (live), etc.

Travis Hyde

It might not be exactly fitting for the video, but the song has had many evolutions for live performance over the years. Might be neat to explore them.

ixi music

I haven't hurt those versions before!

ixi music

That's a cool idea. There can be multiple videos, probably will be some Patreon exclusives.

John Schadegg

I think a comparison between the album version and the (quiet) version would be interesting as well as just a general analysis of the use of ambient noise and weird effects used in the song

Kai Ellis

I haven't hurt those before 😂 The NIN puns are always one of the best things about this channel!!!

Eugene Leeds

Melody - Mildly interesting note. I too felt the same way. Initially people told me to listen to this song that Johnny Cash wrote and NIN covered. hmmm lol Anyway, I listened to it a few times and it never clicked. I actually love the cover album that Cash did but this song felt flat for me. It didn't have the emotion I was used to. Fast forward some months and I came across the music video for the Cash version. wow It was very moving and after that I felt like I understood his version and came to love it as well. Not as much as the OG version, but still loved it. Funny enough years later I heard Trent talk about the Cash version and he said the same thing. Essentially..didn't like it at all, saw the video, fell in love with the Cash version. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/8AHCfZTRGiI

echothirteen

No Johnny Cash. Or a separate video for that. I loved Johnny. Johnny was brilliant and a legend and I’ve sang more than my share of his songs at karaoke but not that song. I’m sick of the comparisons. Everyone that says his version is better always begins with “have you seen the video?!?!” They like the video. It’s not better. It’s a watered down version for mass consumption. Rick Rubin wanted him to cover it and he didn’t even want to at first. I know Trent says it’s “not his song anymore.” I say he’s wrong. 😂

Nailed

Very predictably, I’d love to know about all the noise. Where does it come from? How was the huge abrasive cacophony made at the end? Noise is a bit out of your normal thing maybe but I’d love to hear your music theory take on the final three chords :)

Kai Ellis

I'm with Eugene that wherever you magic guides you is sure to give us something worthy. Have you watched the two 12 Tone deep dives into the song? You're guaranteed to do something distinct from his, but you're both brilliant, and I'm just dying to see how your analysis compares to his. And of course after your conversation with Mike James Gallagher about the sound design of Reptile, it's hard for me not to want a discussion between you and 12 Tone about the composition of this song :)

Eugene Leeds

Here's the official "Quiet" version. They're from Further Down the Spiral. p.s. ixi. Thank you soooo much for reigniting my love of NIN the past few months. https://youtu.be/N-vpkja2fQ8

ixi music

Ah, interesting! I've watched a couple of his videos and they were fascinating. I'll watch his videos on Hurt.

ixi music

I'll do my best but if you haven't already, watch the Song Exploder episode that Mike worked on on Netflix because it may answer some of those questions. By final three chords you mean those massively LOUD low guitar notes?...baaaawwwmm bawwwwm BAAAAAAAAAAAA

HeathSoSpooky

It's my fav track on my fav album of all time. What strikes me about it is how it has a very "normal" pop song structure and chords (with some dissonant stabs for emphesis), but how it totally fits into TDS perfectly. To me, it's an upgrade of "Something I Can Never Have". Both songs have common chord progressions with some dissonant riffs/parts over the top, keeping it from being too accessible.

tneper

I almost want to ask you to talk about Kermit's cover, it makes me laugh and at the same time chokes me up lol (when he looks at the photo of Jim Henson)... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57ta7mkgrOU But seriously, this song is so deeply personal to Trent I can't imagine how he's summoned the strength to sing it with conviction so many times for so many years. There's an interesting video that has clips from 20 years of performing the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzChGZzsjHo

elise

I will echo the majority opinion here that the comparison with the Cash version should be separate, and also mention that the video is crucial for appreciating the Cash version, because the context it adds is really tragic and beautiful. Hurt was the perfect anthem for dealing with a lot of really dark, painful feelings I had while I was young that I really had no outlet for. The lyrics were especially important to me, more than anything else on TDS. As despondent as the lyrics are, there is that one little glimmer of hope in the last stanza, and sometimes that little bit of hope is all I needed when I felt like I was at the end of the line.

Ruthie Ward

I'm with Blake here. I don't have Netflix, plus I'd love to hear *your* analysis. I always LOVED the noise at the end, and also look forward to hearing you isolate the bits and pieces.

ixi music

My pleasure Eugene! I'll check this out...probably on a livestream with y'all ;)

Etvid

I’m sure you will find a way.

ixi music

I'll analyze it to the best of my abilities! The Song Exploder is basically a very powerfully edited interview with Trent and he answers some questions about where certain sounds came from. I got Netflix for one month just to watch it. Worth it!

ixi music

The video meaning the music video for Cash's "Hurt"?

ixi music

There is one thing I want to comment on in terms of comparing the two versions, which I may mention in the main analysis otherwise I may leave it be. I have a feeling the general public will want that comparison video but if I'm not passionate about it, I'm probably not the person to do it.

elise

Yes.

A.David Silverman

Since no one has mentioned this yet, and since Hurt is the last track, if you’re not planning some sort of overview video of the album as a whole, I’d like the Hurt Video, as it’s tthe last song, to include some discussion of your thoughts on the album as a whole. If Hurt is some sort of coda, epilogue to some narrative that goes throughout the work, what in the music echoes that? Are themes and motifs reaching some sort of catharsis here? The Netflix video mentioned that Trent was influenced by Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.” Is Hurt his version of “Outside the Wall”?

Jay Farris

Hurt wasnt one of my top faves but I gotta say that chorus really hits. I’d love to know how he got those rich guitar sounds. I’d also be interested learning about how this song fits into the overall narrative / closes it out. Your explanation of the narrative aspect of the album has been so awesome to learn about. Obviously downward spiral is a masterpiece. But I had no clue it was intended as a fully narrative concept album and that just makes it so much cooler.

Jay Farris

Holy shit that video had me tearing up immediately. And those guitars sound very Slowdive-y. Beautiful

ixi music

Same, the chorus can make me sweaty-eyed. Thanks for the suggestions!

Sam Patterson

I’d like covers to be separate, but talking about the live and “quiet” versions would not be amiss. I also would like to know about any music themes used, wrapped up, or left dangling by this very last track. To me, that last note/tone are unsettling (but in a very specific, thought out way?) Your insight is most welcome. This song touched me deeply, I think without Hurt, the rest of TDS wouldn’t have the emotional heft it does, for me at least. Having been through a close friend (and roommate at the time) attempt suicide, this song resonated.

Marc Résibois

I just heard a podcast where Chris Vrenna said Cash owned the song and is the best cover he knows

Marc Résibois

It’s hard for me to judge as I am not a native speaker and can’t get all of the subtleties of how the meaning of the song changes due to cash’s age. I think my favourite cash cover is nick cave’s mercy seat which is so so good and definitely beats the originals