Pain and sorrow are just two of the many prominent emotions in which people experience whilst hearing the raspy cracking voice of Johnny Cash. The proof of this is shown precisely in his last music video that he has to his name, the video for the song “Hurt.” This video was filmed just weeks before the passing of his wife; the famous June Carter in May 2003, subsequently before the passing of Johnny, following just months after in September of 2003. For those reasons, I believe this video and song have a strong final message from Johnny Cash. The video itself shows many scenes from throughout his life: scenes from movies he has been in, clips of his concerts to clips of his everyday life, even capturing the house in Kingsland, Arkansas in which he was brought up in. All of these moments in the video show me that the filming of this music video, specifically being that the scenes that were incorporated into the video were meant for this video to be shown as his final message to his fans.  The lyrics even showing that he was content with how his life had ended up to this point and that he would not change any aspect of his life if he could go back and do it all again. 

With all that was said beforehand the song “Hurt”  had originally been written for and sung by the band Nine Inch Nails. This being said, the two takes of the song, Nine Inch Nails’ version and Johnny Cash’s versions, do differ in many aspects, one of those aspects being that the original version of the song had seemed to come out with a dark take on the lyrics and within the video, anger being shown intensely throughout. With Cash’s version of the song it came out in a sorrow or mourning tone. You can hear the rasps in his voice, you can feel his actual “hurt.”  So I do believe Johnny Cash taking over this song from Nine Inch Nails was unquestionably a good call on his half. It worked especially well in Cash’s case being that within the filming of the video it did come off as his farewell to his fans. The lyrics even pairing effortlessly with the direction which Johnny Cash took with the video and the message that was encompassed within and throughout the video. The reason this information talked about above is sought as good knowledge with the video “Hurt” is that it makes the actual footage of the video make a little more sense for the fans who may have not known the back story. People may look up the actual version by Nine Inch Nails then look at Johnny Cash’s version and not understand why he soothed the video and lyrics down to a more sorrow tone. But, then people will realize why Johnny Cash changed the emotions within the video in a more heartfelt sense, this all showing within the images the video contains. 

“If I could start again a million miles away, I will keep myself I would find a way.” This is one of the lines in the chorus of “Hurt”; this line alone summing up the full song along with the emotions which are being expressed in Johnny Cash’s voice in addition to his emotions shown during the video. In this one sole line it is shown that no matter what Johnny did throughout his life in the past, he now sees that he would not change anything about the past, he is content with how life has ended up for himself to this point. The lines “If I could start again,” and “I will keep myself” merely tell it all. Everyone has thought at least once in their life about going back in time and restarting it all over again. Cash has had many things in which he was gazed down upon and viewed poorly for in the past including when he was at the literal high point of his fame. Cash nonetheless still said “I will keep myself” showing that he has overcome the obstacles he had faced in the past knowing that he is now happy and content with where he is at this point in his life. Going back and changing something from the past could ruin many other things in the present. Be the better you that you can be, be happy with all the memories you have, that is what really matters in life. This is what Johnny Cash shows during this song and throughout the scenes of the video. Such scenes within the video that show these emotions expressed above would be the scenes of Johnny and June together. These scenes show the love they had; it shows them holding hands, hugging, and constantly kissing. The scenes show how happy they were in life. All things Cash endored in life led him to this point here with June and he would not go back and change it for anything, that it shows. “He will keep himself, he will find a way.”

All of the images used throughout the music video such as his awards being taken down and having dinner just with June and himself along with Cash’s words in the chorus of the song show how content he was with where he stood in life. It all shows me also that Cash knew this would be his final music video as the video showed him putting things away as if to be packing up and preparing for what was about to occur. The video is meant to be a farewell to his fan base with the total video coming off as a memorabilia video, it consisting of the assortment of different clips being from the concerts Johnny has put on, movies in which he had appeared in, and everyday life clips from his childhood up till the filming of this music video. With the video showing Cash’s awards being taken down and memorabilia being put away it tells that they, Johnny and June, were done, they were ready to be finished with their time in the spotlight, and that they were tired, that it showed. This was especially shown in the clips of June in the video, June looked to be worn out and was just scarcely looking over Johnny which seemed errie as if foreshadowing in a way.  The awards being taken down and things being put away to me was also showing that they saw all of the awards as not being of significance to them anymore especially at this point in their lives, as if the memories they had in their minds being of the most importance Johnny even saying, “Beneath the stains of time, the feelings disappear…. “but I remember everything.”” This not being the objects of what was of the most importance but their memories and experiences being what was. 

The “Hurt” music video captures two fast glimpses of June in the end. This came as a surprise to many fans at the time of this video’s release. June and even Johnny had hardly been seen much before this video was released, they had taken a break quite a time before. Sudenly out of nowhere though this video had come out. Fans being especially shocked by the events happening soon after the video was published, these events being the death of June soon after this music video was released and Johnny then following not too long after.

“Hurt” is a video to fans, a video for Johnny and June to say their goodbyes. It gives a final message to fans but also was telling fans that Cash did not see himself as having regrets in life. You can see this inclosed in the video by the it showing all of the accomplishments Johnny had throughout his life. Johnny found what really mattered in his life, that being June. She fixed him and was his point in life. This video celebrates Johnny and June with all they have accomplished in their careers alone and together.  He was who he was, the video proves that statement with giving a recap of his life before fame recapping back to the roots of his life being in his childhood home and town in Kingsland, Arkansas. Then showing his life throughout the fame, and then his life within his final days. This was their final goodbye to their fans, a completion to the famous Johnny and June. 