Country, Rock

Hurt Chords

Johnny Cash Beginner Key of C 5 Chords 2 min read

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Key

C Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Capo

None

Chords

Am · C · D · G · F

Johnny Cash’s deeply moving final masterpiece about pain, regret, and redemption. Beginner difficulty in the key of Am.

Dark Ballad (4/4 Time)

↓↑↓↑

1234

Tip: Play with stark simplicity. Johnny Cash’s version is bare and haunting — let each chord ring out in the silence. Less is everything in this song.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

Am C

I hurt myself today

D Am

To see if I still feel

Am C

I focus on the pain

D Am

The only thing that’s real

Am C

The needle tears a hole

D Am

The old familiar sting

Am C

Try to kill it all away

D G

But I remember everything

Chorus

Am F

What have I become?

C G

My sweetest friend

Am F

Everyone I know

C G

Goes away in the end

Am F

And you could have it all

G

My empire of dirt

Am F

I will let you down

G Am

I will make you hurt

Verse 2

Am C

I wear this crown of thorns

D Am

Upon my liar’s chair

Am C

Full of broken thoughts

D Am

I cannot repair

Am C

Beneath the stains of time

D Am

The feelings disappear

Am C

You are someone else

D G

I am still right here

Chorus

Am F

What have I become?

C G

My sweetest friend

Am F

Everyone I know

C G

Goes away in the end

Am F

And you could have it all

G

My empire of dirt

Am F

I will let you down

G Am

I will make you hurt

Outro

Am F

If I could start again

G Am

A million miles away

Am F

I would keep myself

G Am

I would find a way

Practice tip: The Am-C-D verse and Am-F-C-G chorus are simple but devastating. The power is in restraint — play as quietly and deliberately as possible. Let the silence between chords speak.

Amtap to play

Ctap to play

Dtap to play

Gtap to play

Ftap to play

Key

C Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Tuning

G-C-E-A

Chords

Am · C · D · G · F

Johnny Cash’s deeply moving final masterpiece about pain, regret, and redemption. Beginner difficulty in the key of Am.

Dark Ballad (4/4 Time)

↓↑↓↑

1234

Tip: Play with stark simplicity. Johnny Cash’s version is bare and haunting — let each chord ring out in the silence. Less is everything in this song.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

Am C

I hurt myself today

D Am

To see if I still feel

Am C

I focus on the pain

D Am

The only thing that’s real

Am C

The needle tears a hole

D Am

The old familiar sting

Am C

Try to kill it all away

D G

But I remember everything

Chorus

Am F

What have I become?

C G

My sweetest friend

Am F

Everyone I know

C G

Goes away in the end

Am F

And you could have it all

G

My empire of dirt

Am F

I will let you down

G Am

I will make you hurt

Verse 2

Am C

I wear this crown of thorns

D Am

Upon my liar’s chair

Am C

Full of broken thoughts

D Am

I cannot repair

Am C

Beneath the stains of time

D Am

The feelings disappear

Am C

You are someone else

D G

I am still right here

Chorus

Am F

What have I become?

C G

My sweetest friend

Am F

Everyone I know

C G

Goes away in the end

Am F

And you could have it all

G

My empire of dirt

Am F

I will let you down

G Am

I will make you hurt

Outro

Am F

If I could start again

G Am

A million miles away

Am F

I would keep myself

G Am

I would find a way

Practice tip: The Am-C-D verse and Am-F-C-G chorus are simple but devastating. The power is in restraint — play as quietly and deliberately as possible. Let the silence between chords speak.

Amtap to play

Ctap to play

Dtap to play

Gtap to play

Ftap to play

Key

C Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Left Hand

Root notes

Chords

Am · C · D · G · F

Johnny Cash’s deeply moving final masterpiece about pain, regret, and redemption. Beginner difficulty in the key of Am.

Dark Ballad (4/4 Time)

↓↑↓↑

1234

Tip: Play with stark simplicity. Johnny Cash’s version is bare and haunting — let each chord ring out in the silence. Less is everything in this song.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

Am C

I hurt myself today

D Am

To see if I still feel

Am C

I focus on the pain

D Am

The only thing that’s real

Am C

The needle tears a hole

D Am

The old familiar sting

Am C

Try to kill it all away

D G

But I remember everything

Chorus

Am F

What have I become?

C G

My sweetest friend

Am F

Everyone I know

C G

Goes away in the end

Am F

And you could have it all

G

My empire of dirt

Am F

I will let you down

G Am

I will make you hurt

Verse 2

Am C

I wear this crown of thorns

D Am

Upon my liar’s chair

Am C

Full of broken thoughts

D Am

I cannot repair

Am C

Beneath the stains of time

D Am

The feelings disappear

Am C

You are someone else

D G

I am still right here

Chorus

Am F

What have I become?

C G

My sweetest friend

Am F

Everyone I know

C G

Goes away in the end

Am F

And you could have it all

G

My empire of dirt

Am F

I will let you down

G Am

I will make you hurt

Outro

Am F

If I could start again

G Am

A million miles away

Am F

I would keep myself

G Am

I would find a way

Practice tip: The Am-C-D verse and Am-F-C-G chorus are simple but devastating. The power is in restraint — play as quietly and deliberately as possible. Let the silence between chords speak.

Amtap to play

Ctap to play

Dtap to play

Gtap to play

Ftap to play

Key

C Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Tuning

gDGBD (Open G)

Chords

Am · C · D · G · F

Johnny Cash’s deeply moving final masterpiece about pain, regret, and redemption. Beginner difficulty in the key of Am.

Dark Ballad (4/4 Time)

↓↑↓↑

1234

Tip: Play with stark simplicity. Johnny Cash’s version is bare and haunting — let each chord ring out in the silence. Less is everything in this song.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

Am C

I hurt myself today

D Am

To see if I still feel

Am C

I focus on the pain

D Am

The only thing that’s real

Am C

The needle tears a hole

D Am

The old familiar sting

Am C

Try to kill it all away

D G

But I remember everything

Chorus

Am F

What have I become?

C G

My sweetest friend

Am F

Everyone I know

C G

Goes away in the end

Am F

And you could have it all

G

My empire of dirt

Am F

I will let you down

G Am

I will make you hurt

Verse 2

Am C

I wear this crown of thorns

D Am

Upon my liar’s chair

Am C

Full of broken thoughts

D Am

I cannot repair

Am C

Beneath the stains of time

D Am

The feelings disappear

Am C

You are someone else

D G

I am still right here

Chorus

Am F

What have I become?

C G

My sweetest friend

Am F

Everyone I know

C G

Goes away in the end

Am F

And you could have it all

G

My empire of dirt

Am F

I will let you down

G Am

I will make you hurt

Outro

Am F

If I could start again

G Am

A million miles away

Am F

I would keep myself

G Am

I would find a way

Practice tip: The Am-C-D verse and Am-F-C-G chorus are simple but devastating. The power is in restraint — play as quietly and deliberately as possible. Let the silence between chords speak.

Amtap to play

Ctap to play

Dtap to play

Gtap to play

Ftap to play

Key

C Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Tuning

G-D-A-E

Chords

Am · C · D · G · F

Johnny Cash’s deeply moving final masterpiece about pain, regret, and redemption. Beginner difficulty in the key of Am.

Dark Ballad (4/4 Time)

↓↑↓↑

1234

Tip: Play with stark simplicity. Johnny Cash’s version is bare and haunting — let each chord ring out in the silence. Less is everything in this song.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

Am C

I hurt myself today

D Am

To see if I still feel

Am C

I focus on the pain

D Am

The only thing that’s real

Am C

The needle tears a hole

D Am

The old familiar sting

Am C

Try to kill it all away

D G

But I remember everything

Chorus

Am F

What have I become?

C G

My sweetest friend

Am F

Everyone I know

C G

Goes away in the end

Am F

And you could have it all

G

My empire of dirt

Am F

I will let you down

G Am

I will make you hurt

Verse 2

Am C

I wear this crown of thorns

D Am

Upon my liar’s chair

Am C

Full of broken thoughts

D Am

I cannot repair

Am C

Beneath the stains of time

D Am

The feelings disappear

Am C

You are someone else

D G

I am still right here

Chorus

Am F

What have I become?

C G

My sweetest friend

Am F

Everyone I know

C G

Goes away in the end

Am F

And you could have it all

G

My empire of dirt

Am F

I will let you down

G Am

I will make you hurt

Outro

Am F

If I could start again

G Am

A million miles away

Am F

I would keep myself

G Am

I would find a way

Practice tip: The Am-C-D verse and Am-F-C-G chorus are simple but devastating. The power is in restraint — play as quietly and deliberately as possible. Let the silence between chords speak.

Amtap to play

Ctap to play

Dtap to play

Gtap to play

Ftap to play

Key

C Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Harp Key

C Diatonic

Chords

Am · C · D · G · F

Johnny Cash’s deeply moving final masterpiece about pain, regret, and redemption. Beginner difficulty in the key of Am.

Dark Ballad (4/4 Time)

↓↑↓↑

1234

Tip: Play with stark simplicity. Johnny Cash’s version is bare and haunting — let each chord ring out in the silence. Less is everything in this song.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

Am C

I hurt myself today

D Am

To see if I still feel

Am C

I focus on the pain

D Am

The only thing that’s real

Am C

The needle tears a hole

D Am

The old familiar sting

Am C

Try to kill it all away

D G

But I remember everything

Chorus

Am F

What have I become?

C G

My sweetest friend

Am F

Everyone I know

C G

Goes away in the end

Am F

And you could have it all

G

My empire of dirt

Am F

I will let you down

G Am

I will make you hurt

Verse 2

Am C

I wear this crown of thorns

D Am

Upon my liar’s chair

Am C

Full of broken thoughts

D Am

I cannot repair

Am C

Beneath the stains of time

D Am

The feelings disappear

Am C

You are someone else

D G

I am still right here

Chorus

Am F

What have I become?

C G

My sweetest friend

Am F

Everyone I know

C G

Goes away in the end

Am F

And you could have it all

G

My empire of dirt

Am F

I will let you down

G Am

I will make you hurt

Outro

Am F

If I could start again

G Am

A million miles away

Am F

I would keep myself

G Am

I would find a way

Practice tip: The Am-C-D verse and Am-F-C-G chorus are simple but devastating. The power is in restraint — play as quietly and deliberately as possible. Let the silence between chords speak.

Amtap to play

Ctap to play

Dtap to play

Gtap to play

Ftap to play

Key

C Major

Difficulty

Beginner

Range

Varies by singer

Chords

Am · C · D · G · F

Johnny Cash’s deeply moving final masterpiece about pain, regret, and redemption. Beginner difficulty in the key of Am.

Dark Ballad (4/4 Time)

↓↑↓↑

1234

Tip: Play with stark simplicity. Johnny Cash’s version is bare and haunting — let each chord ring out in the silence. Less is everything in this song.

Lyrics & Chords

Full Song

Verse 1

Am C

I hurt myself today

D Am

To see if I still feel

Am C

I focus on the pain

D Am

The only thing that’s real

Am C

The needle tears a hole

D Am

The old familiar sting

Am C

Try to kill it all away

D G

But I remember everything

Chorus

Am F

What have I become?

C G

My sweetest friend

Am F

Everyone I know

C G

Goes away in the end

Am F

And you could have it all

G

My empire of dirt

Am F

I will let you down

G Am

I will make you hurt

Verse 2

Am C

I wear this crown of thorns

D Am

Upon my liar’s chair

Am C

Full of broken thoughts

D Am

I cannot repair

Am C

Beneath the stains of time

D Am

The feelings disappear

Am C

You are someone else

D G

I am still right here

Chorus

Am F

What have I become?

C G

My sweetest friend

Am F

Everyone I know

C G

Goes away in the end

Am F

And you could have it all

G

My empire of dirt

Am F

I will let you down

G Am

I will make you hurt

Outro

Am F

If I could start again

G Am

A million miles away

Am F

I would keep myself

G Am

I would find a way

Practice tip: The Am-C-D verse and Am-F-C-G chorus are simple but devastating. The power is in restraint — play as quietly and deliberately as possible. Let the silence between chords speak.