I love this song! It’s by Nine Inch Nails, but Johnny Cash recorded it. It paints a vivid picture of a man at the end of his life looking back and seeing how pointless all his fame and glory was. He’s ready to give away his “empire of dirt” because he realizes that everything earthly fades away. “Everyone I know goes away in the end.” Goosebumps! I think Cash chose this song because of the way it reflected his life, much of which he spent as an unbeliever, and because of its humble, truthful lyrics. We humans truly are scum. We live for ourselves, we lie, and we hurt each other. Praise God that for Christians, regardless of our sin, Christ is still our “sweetest friend.”
I hurt myself today
to see if I still feel
I focused on the pain
the only thing that’s real
the needle tears a hole
the old familiar sting
try to kill it all away
but I remember everything
what have I become?
my sweetest friend
everyone I know
goes away in the end
and you could have it all
my empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
I wear this crown of thorns
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
what have I become?
my sweetest friend
everyone I know
goes away in the end
and you could have it all
my empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
if I could start again
a million miles away
I would keep myself
I would find a way
Check out the excellent music video for this song here