Johnny Cash also does a version of Personal Jesus! He rocks out on that one!

I convinced my ex wife to teach her high school English students these two songs and the affect that tone has on the words. One, NIN version, has a whole lot of self pity and self doubt. But when you play the other, Cash, it’s a deathbed confessional/apology.

Both very powerful and moving but the tone give them each a very different meaning.