Premium
VIP
Beta Tester
Hurt
by Johnny Cash • Lesson #90 • Aug 5, 2017
Video lesson
Licensed Song Sheet 3 pages
Follow along with my print-friendly guide for this song! It’s available for purchase at Musicnotes.com, the web’s leading provider of licensed sheet music.
On the fence? Here's a guide I made showing the purchase & print process, including answers to common questions about my song sheets.
Buy at Musicnotes.comEditor’s notes
In this lesson, I’m excited to show you how to play “Hurt” as performed by Johnny Cash. Originally a Nine Inch Nails song from 1994, the 2003 Johnny Cash version is an absolute masterpiece and it’s quite approachable. You only need 3-4 chords, and the distinctive intro riff especially is quite easy to learn. I’ll show you the chords needed, tabs for the riffs, and how to strum the chorus. Enjoy!
Lyrics w/ chords
See sheet music for lyrics w/ all chords written above them.
Intro & verse chords
To play the intro and verse riff, you’ll need to know these fundamental chords:
e-|---0----0----2----
B-|---1----1----3----
G-|---2----0----2----
D-|---2----2----0----
A-|---0----3---------
E-|------------------
Am C D
Intro & verse riff
Once you know the chords, follow this tab in order to play the riff. The great news: your chord hand doesn’t need to add any notes aside from the core chord shape. The magic is simply in how you pick the strings: you’ll play the bottom two strings of each chord individually, and then strum the remaining strings all at once.
See the notes in parentheses? They are optional and by no means required to pull this off.
E |––––––––0–––––––––––––––––|––––––––0–––––––––––2––––––|
B |––––––––1–––––––––––––––––|––––––––1–––––––––––3––––––|
G |––––––––2–––––––––––––––––|––––––––0––––––––2––––(2)––|
D |–––––2––––––––––––––––––––|–––––2––––––––0––––––––––––|
A |––0–––––––––––––––––––––––|––3–––––––(3)––––––––––––––|
E |––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––––|
Am C D
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
If you want, you can get a bit creative and play the D as a Dsus2 instead (or, maybe only do this sometimes). It sounds like this is what you hear for the album version by Johnny Cash, at least some of the time. To do this, simply leave the high E string open.
E |––––––––0–––––––––––––––––|––––––––0–––––––––––0––––––|
B |––––––––1–––––––––––––––––|––––––––1–––––––––––3––––––|
G |––––––––2–––––––––––––––––|––––––––0––––––––2––––(2)––|
D |–––––2––––––––––––––––––––|–––––2––––––––0––––––––––––|
A |––0–––––––––––––––––––––––|––3–––––––(3)––––––––––––––|
E |––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––––|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Am C Dsus2
Chorus chord progression
For the chorus, you’ll use these two very similar progressions. Note the final chord is all that changes.
"What have I become, my sweetest friend..."
G . . . Am . . . F . . . C . . . x2
"You can have it all, my empire of dirt..."
G . . . Am . . . F . . . G . . . x2
To play the chords needed here, use this tab:
e-|---3----0----0----1----
B-|---0----1----1----1----
G-|---0----2----0----2----
D-|---0----2----2----3----
A-|---2----0----3----3----
E-|---3--------------1----
G Am C F
If the F is giving you a hard time, you can play an abbreviated version. Here’s some ways I recommend making it easier to play:
Alternate chord voicings for the chorus
In the second half of each chorus, I like to play the chords as follows. The key distinction here is that I have my pinky on the high E-string, 3rd fret, for each chord I play. This mimics the sustaining piano note you hear in the Cash version of the song.
e-|---3----3----3----3----
B-|---0----1----1----1----
G-|---0----2----0----2----
D-|---0----2----2----3----
A-|---2----0----3---------
E-|---3-------------------
G Am C F
Try it out! It also makes the F way easier to play, in my opinion.
Chorus strumming pattern
Quite simply, do all down-strums on each quarter note (4 down strums per measure) – and put the emphasis on the 1 and 3 counts.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D D D D
> >
Good luck!
Let me know if you have questions. I hope this was helpful. Be sure to check out my other Johnny Cash lessons, I have a bunch!
Browse Related Lessons
Click any tag below to view other lessons I've made in that category:
Enjoy My Lessons? Show Your Support!
Most of the lessons on my website are 100% free. If you have the means, please show your support with a tip jar contribution. I put many hours into every lesson — but it only takes you a minute to make a donation. You have my thanks!
Looking for More Song Lessons?
Featured Courses
Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made
Coming soon is Jambox – which shows all the video jam tracks I've made. It's note quite ready for the spotlight, but check it out if you like!
Subscribe to my YouTube channel
Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!
Recent Lessons
-
Feb 12, 2025
"Handle with Care" by Traveling Wilburys
-
Feb 5, 2025
Strumming Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind"
-
Feb 4, 2025
Tom T. Hall's Classic Country Riff
-
January 29, 2025
"Third Coast" by Larry Joe Taylor
-
January 28, 2025
Strummy Walkdowns in Key of G!
-
January 22, 2025
"Let Him Roll" by Guy Clark – Updated!
-
January 15, 2025
Guitarist's Guide to YouTube Keyboard Shortcuts
-
January 9, 2025
"Mr. Tambourine Man" by Bob Dylan