. Listen to the song "Hurt" sung by Johnny Cash on the Module 4 playlist. This song was written and originally performed by Nine Inch Nails and refers to young people who cut themselves. How does the iconic performer Johnny Cash transform this song into masterfully authentic storytelling, which is a hallmark of a successful country song?

2. Try your hand at writing lyrics to a country song. Your song should have at least two verses and a chorus, and tell a story. Consider the topics that country music often addresses and write lyrics that are a recognizable fit in the genre.

3. Do you agree with the following statement: "Many country songs express the inner conflict between pleasure-seeking and the pursuit of religious devotion or wanderlust and the security of home" (p. 175)? Why or why not?