Johnny Cash was on another level. He was a go-to outlaw country singer and songwriter who made a whole brand out of being an all-black-wearing crooner who performed at prisons. That core identity aside, Johnny Cash also covered songs in wildly different genres. And he made some of those songs even better with his smoky, gravelly singing style. Let’s look at just four examples!
1. “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails
This would not be a list of the best songs Johnny Cash ever covered without mentioning his haunting rendition of “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails. The song was originally recorded by an industrial rock band, so it’s certainly unconventional for a country star to cover any of their songs.
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However, Cash did it; and his version of “Hurt” has become even bigger than the original track. Recorded late in his life, Cash’s cover of “Hurt” is a devastating piece of work that can’t be matched.
2. “I’m On Fire” by Bruce Springsteen
Cash’s cover of this Springsteen classic was originally part of a tribute album for the latter, where he appeared with other artists like Hank Williams III and Ani DiFranco to share their love for The Boss.
However, “I’m On Fire” stands out from the rest of the songs on that album. Recorded back in 2000, Cash brought a ton of energy to the cover that you wouldn’t expect from a man in his 60s.
3. “I Hung My Head” by Sting
Yet again, Cash proved he could cover virtually any artist’s music, no matter their genre. Cash released this cover of Sting’s “I Hung My Head” back in 1996, though the original was already leaning toward country in both sound and subject matter.
The storyline of this song is slow but well-written, and Cash added an element of misery and Southern twang to the track that just made it even better.
4. “Girl From The North Country” by Bob Dylan
This Bob Dylan track has been covered like a million times, but none of them hit like Cash’s version. Cash shared a duet with Dylan for this song in 1969 that made it to Dylan’s Nashville Skyline, and it makes sense why. Cash just had a knack for making any song good. And he loved a good duet.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives
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