In celebration of CBC Music’s new Killer Covers stream, we’re pitting some of the most famous cover versions against the originals. Once a day for two weeks we'll post an original song and its cover, and you can vote for which version you prefer.
Today, “Hurt.”
Nine Inch Nails released “Hurt” as the final track on their 1994 album, The Downward Spiral. The emotional song, with its slow, swelling crescendo, is a perfect piece of rock drama.
In 2003, Johnny Cash released a cover of “Hurt,” produced by Rick Rubin. In Cash’s hands, the song takes on a sadder, more nostalgic feeling than the original. It’s a tearjerker, from the voice to the video to the fact it was Cash’s last single, released just months before his death.
Check back tomorrow for another cover song matchup.
Related:
Cover Wars: 'Tainted Love'
Cover Wars: 'I Will Survive'
Cover Wars: 'Leaving on a Jet Plane'