"Beneath the stains of time"

Dear readers,

I want to tell you about a music video I found over on Nan's blog. It's simply called "Hurt" and it's sung by Johnny Cash toward the end of his life. I can't give you the actual video here because the embedding has been disabled but I promise you most assuredly that you will not regret clicking through to listen and watch. The visuals at the very end are evocative and powerful. I don't think I will ever forget them.

Here are the lyrics:

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
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt

I wear this crown of 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
And 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

Let us find a way, dear people. A way of not selling ourselves down the river. And let us find a way to remain in a place of compassion for all those who are, indeed, so very hurt.

~~~