Major view
C major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = B (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = F (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Johnny Cash - Hurt - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords Am, C, D, G, F Easy key G (capo 5)
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Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
Am C D Am C D
Am C D Am C D Am
I hurt myself today to see if I still feel
C D Am C D Am
I focus on the pain the only thing that's real
C D Am C D Am
The needle tears a hole the old familiar sting
C D Am C D G
Try to kill it all away but I remember everything
Am F C G
What have I become? My sweetest friend
Am F C G
Everyone I know goes away in the end
Am F G G
And you could have it all My empire of dirt
Am F G Am
I will let you down I will make you hurt
Am C D Am C D Am
I wear this crown of thorns upon my liars chair
C D Am C D Am
Full of broken thoughts I cannot repair
C D Am C D Am
Beneath the stains of time the feeling disappears
C D Am C D G
You are someone else I am still right here
Am F C G
What have I become? My sweetest friend
Am F C G
Everyone I know goes away in the end
Am F G G
And you could have it all My empire of dirt
Am F G G
I will let you down I will make you hurt
Am F G G
If I could start again a million miles away
Am F G
I would keep myself I would find a way
End of song Play again?
Johnny Cash - Hurt Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Johnny Cash – Hurt: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Am and ends on G. Its chords belong to both C major and Am, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
A minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = F (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = G (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the A minor side because it opens on Am and Am is heard 29 times against 22 for C. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from C major, and switching between the two views is exactly where the practice value lies.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to C or to Am; comparing both readings is a practice of its own.
Every chord of the key, listed 1 to 7 separately for each key. Chords played in the song show how often they appear; chords from outside the scale sit next to their own degree.
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | C | Tonic — home | C · E · G | 22× |
| ii | Dm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A | — |
| V/V | D | Secondary dominant V/V — leads to Gsecondary dominant | D · F# · A | 18× |
| iii | Em | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B | — |
| V/vi | E | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B | — |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | 10× |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | 16× |
| vi | Am | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E | 29× |
| vii° | Bdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Tonic — home | A · C · E | 29× |
| ii° | Bdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F | — |
| III | C | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G | 22× |
| iv | Dm | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A | — |
| IV | D | Major IV — Dorian / melodic-minor colourmodal colour | D · F# · A | 18× |
| v | Em | Minor dominant — soft pull | E · G · B | — |
| V | E | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B | — |
| VI | F | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C | 10× |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | 16× |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 5 different chords appear 95 times in total; 4 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. D acts as a secondary dominant, briefly pointing at another chord of the key.
Chord movement
- G Am CV → videceptive cadence AmVII → iAeolian arrival ×11
- F G CIV → VIV → V AmVI → VIIVI → VII ×6
- F C CIV → Iplagal cadence AmVI → III ×4
The move to watch is G → Am, heard 11 times. From the Am side it is VII → i (Aeolian arrival: rises a whole tone into home); from the C side it reads V → vi (deceptive cadence: expected C, lands on Am). Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- C major pentatonic and A minor pentatonic are the same five notes (C – D – E – G – A): start from C for a brighter phrase, from A for a bluesier one.
- Over Am, land on A, C, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over C, land on C, E, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over D, land on D, F#, A — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
The song on the circle of fifths
- Played in the song — chord of the key
- Played — the minor's harmonic V or a secondary dominant
- Played — borrowed or outside chord
- Home region: IV–I–V and ii–vi–iii
Empty slices are chords the song doesn't use.
Capo and easier keys
With C major shapes
- No capo — open C shapes
- Capo 3 + A shapes
- Capo 5 + G shapes
With A minor shapes
- No capo — open Am shapes
- Capo 5 + Em shapes
- Capo 7 + Dm shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 5 semitones down · capo 5 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The opening Am lays a solid floor for everything that follows. The chords that keep coming back are Am, C, D, G; read them as vi–I–V/V–V in C or i–III–IV–VII in Am. D adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/V — leads to G. Keep an ear on G → Am (V → vi in C, VII → i in Am): Aeolian arrival — rises a whole tone into home. The final chord is G; the ear comes to rest in C.
This analysis is generated from the song's chords by akorculuk's harmony engine using consistent rules. When you change key, the degrees stay the same; only the chord names change.
Johnny Cash - Hurt Chords on Guitar, Ukulele and Piano
Hover over or tap a chord in the lyrics for its shapes, its degree in both keys and a listen button. Here you have every chord of the song side by side.
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