Nine Inch Nails/Johnny Cash - Hurt Lyrics Quiz

In 1994, Nine Inch Nails released their album The Downward Spiral. The final song on that album was penned by Trent Reznor, who said of it, "I wrote some words and music in my bedroom as a way of staying sane, about a bleak and desperate place I was in, totally isolated and alone." That song became an anthem of both hopelessness and healing, and still resonates with the power of its music and lyrics to this day. In 2002 it was famously covered by the iconic Johnny Cash, and served largely as his own eulogy, as he passed away only a year after its recording. Can you recall the lyrics to the famous song?
Quiz by
ElCanuck
Rate:
Last updated: April 8, 2020
You have not attempted this quiz yet.
First submittedApril 8, 2020
Times taken183
Average score89.3%
Report this quizReport
5:00
Enter answer here
0
 / 28 guessed
The quiz is paused. You have remaining.
Scoring
You scored / = %
This beats or equals % of test takers also scored 100%
The average score is
Your high score is
Your fastest time is
Keep scrolling down for answers and more stats ...
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
 
You could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
 
I wear this crown of shit/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
 
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
Save Your Stats
Your Next Quiz
With the first letter as a hint...
Name the countries with the highest population that border each other.
Name the capital cities of the world whose names come from the Spanish language.
Drag the pin onto the correct country. Careful, though! Three wrong moves and the game ends.
2 Comments
+2
Level 77
Mar 10, 2023
I can hear Johnny Cash performing this song in my head, and it gives me chills. But I missed one word, scoring 27/28. Thanks for the quiz!
+2
Level 87
Dec 18, 2025
Anyone who's heard this song will never forget it.