anonymous March 6th, 2007 11:49PM  
From the concept album The Doward Spiral, Hurt is the final track, following on from the previous title track (the actual 'the downward spiral' song) which tells the story of a suicide, Hurt follows on as if looking back, after the suicide has taken place...

Many references are enforced by this interpretation; following the events with 'the protanganist' (inwhich the album tells the story of) being involved with drugs "the needle tears a hole, the old familiar sting", deceit "my liar's chair", he realises that he had nothing in life "this crown of s**t", "my empire of dirt"...

anonymous July 17th, 2007 11:46AM  
I completely understand what Trent Reznor was going through in this song of addiction and regret.This song is about a dark atmosphere of personal demons Trent Reznor carried through drug addiction and depression etc.This is a personal song that I will love for years to come.

anonymous June 17th, 2008 10:38AM  
This is a monolog.
he's talking to himself with splitted personality.
his ego, with his real dreams and his real longings.
and the ego that was never strong enough to aspire.

the beginning describes when he still makes decissions not for himself but for what others expect for example. and he is used to do so.
everyone knows the feeling when having made a mistake and totally regret it and want to change it but you can't and your helpless you just want this fucked up feeling to go away.

what have I become my sweetest friend? everyone I know, goes away in the end.
still he regrets that he made his decisions for the expectations of others he became what others wanted him to become and not what he himself wanted to.
and he realizes that the others have no REAL importance in his life because sooner or later they will just disappear.

you could have it all, my empire of dirt. I will let you down, I will make you hurt.
im not pretty sure about this but somehow I feel it still fits to my interpretation.

I wear this crown of shit, 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
This describes what he has become, he went the wrong way and what he achieved means shit to him he lied to himself his whole life. The stains of time the unerasable mistakes he made I don't find the right words again.
you are someone else, talking to his fake ego, I am still right here, his ego, with his real dreams and his real longings.

if I could start again, a million miles away, I would keep myself, I would find a way
now that he realizes this, ofcourse he would love to get second chance and if he would get it, he would definitely not lie to himself ever again!

i don't claim this to be the truth. but I think everyone can feel with me.
my icqnr 115774390
t0nno (=

anonymous October 17th, 2008 09:32AM  
This song is unbelievably deep. I mean, Most NIN songs I listen to seem to be angry at the world. This one is just so full of self loathing.
It is sad, and one of my favorites.