I suspect I am the last one to know this. Without access to cable tv and an internet connection too slow to try downloading I did not see the music video for "Hurt" until a few days ago.

There were threads about the video on all of the major message boards I post at. Everyone was calling it a masterpiece (except for a mall metal kid or two who don't understand). I wanted to see it.

It wasn't until I was at Circuit City cd shopping. They have a video loop that they use for advertisement purposes. It plays the current trend of music videos and movies. There were a few rap and pop punk videos. Then an advertisement for the new Jonah Veggietales movie. Then, as I was looking for The Velvet Underground in the music department, they started playing Hurt.

I didn't even realize it until I turned around and saw Johnny Cash's tortured face singing. His brittle fingers on the piano. His scratchy voice echoing. I stood. My eyes transfixed on the television screen. The video weaved touching video clips of Cash and his wife. Of old video clips from the past. Of destruction. Then the most powerful image to grace any screen, a shot of Cash pooring alchohol out of a cup, his hand shaking and voice crackling. It ended, Johnny's fingers caressing the piano lid in silence.

I knew what cd I wanted to buy now. I rushed to the country shelves. Found the area for Johnny Cash and started flipping through his cds. "Live at Folsom Prision" "Live at Madison Square Garden" "American III" "The Essential 20 Cash Hits", and on and on. Ironically, they did not have "American IV: The Man Comes Around".

No matter. Barnes and Noble is next door. They carry everything. Albiet at a little higher price. I braved the cold weather and went over to Barnes and Noble. They had less Cash cds than Circuit City, but that's no matter because they would have the most recent one.

Or maybe not. They did not carry it. In frustration I asked the clerk to look it up for me. There were two listings for the cd. One was the normal release. The other featured a bonus DVD. I furiously thought to myself, "Ah! I'll bet the DVD release has the video for Hurt on it!"