I hurt myself today

To see if I still feel

I focus 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

Hurting himself in hope to forget. After being addicted to heroin he can still feel the stinging pain of his actions and their results. Pain is the only way to know if emotions still exist, but it doesn't always work. He cant get rid of his past no matter how hard he tries .

Chorus:

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

No matter what he does, everything ends in the people he cares for being driven away by his destructiveness. Money, fame, and power mean nothing anymore because of his bad decisions. The only thing he can do is damage to the people around him, so he is letting them know in advanced that he will hurt them.

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

He feels like his addiction led to his crucifixion. His tendency to lie about his well being, giving up on trying to make sense of all the uncontrollable thoughts that leading to his mental break down/depression. As time goes on, his feelings pass along with others. He is losing touch with the passion and pain he once felt. Everyone around him has moved on and he left alone still addicted and depressed.

Chorus:

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

He would stay away so he didn't cause the ones he loves anymore pain.

Johnny Cash built an empire around his music, but that empire lead to losing his family in a nasty divorce. Soon his life and career went into a downward spiral because of his serious substance abuse. The main drug he was addicted to was heroin which is referred to in this song. The songs main theme is based around Johnny's addictions and the consequences of his actions, and in the end he would have given up his empire to get back his family.