Personal Jesus album art

Personal Jesus

Johnny Cash
American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002)
Moderate 90 BPM
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Song DNA

Dynamic Range6/10
Sudden Changesmild
Texturelayered
Predictabilitymedium
Vocal Styledynamic vocals
Notes: The song features a deep, resonant vocal delivery from Cash, layered with a steady instrumental backdrop that creates a contemplative atmosphere.

Misophonia Triggers

Mouth Soundsnone
Percussive Clicksmild
Breathing Soundsmild
Repetitive Micro-soundsnone

A cover of Depeche Mode's classic, Johnny Cash's rendition of 'Personal Jesus' combines his signature deep voice with a haunting arrangement.

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Hear it the way it was made

The right gear changes everything.

Moods: contemplative, introspective, reflective

Traditions: country, rock

How this song sits on each sensory axis

A dynamic range of 6/10 means this song moves. Expect a real volume climb between quiet sections and the loudest part of the arrangement — enough that you may want to set the initial volume below where you'd normally land.

Sudden changes: mild. There are one or two transitions worth knowing about, though they're musically resolved rather than surprise-driven.

Texture is layered — a full arrangement with clear separation between parts.

Predictability is medium — conventional structure overall, with one or two moments that deviate from what you'd expect.

Vocal style: dynamic vocals.

Where this sits in Johnny Cash's catalog

We have 24 songs from Johnny Cash in the library. Of those, 8 are rated Safe, 13 Moderate, and 3 Intense. This song's dynamic range of 6/10 sits above the artist average of 5.9, making it the #13 most dynamic track of theirs in our library.

Other tracks from American IV: The Man Comes Around

We have 6 songs from this album. Overall, the album leans moderate in sensory profile.

2002 context

Released in 2002. We have 332 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.3/10. This track is about average than the year average. Explore more from the 2000s.

Explore by mood and tradition

Moods
contemplative · 3297introspective · 5721reflective · 5792
Traditions
country · 833rock · 1459

Why this rating

We rate this song Moderate because it falls between our Safe and Intense thresholds on at least one dimension. Moderate is the default for most well-produced music that has real arc but no surprise elements. Full rubric: methodology.

Rating last reviewed: 2026-04-17. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.

Think this rating is wrong? Email the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.

Songs with the same DNA

layered texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.

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The Byrds
moderate
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DR 5
100 Years
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moderate
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Almendra
Buena Vista Social Club
moderate
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Of Moons Birds and Monsters
MGMT
moderate
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moderate
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Safer alternatives with a similar feel

These songs share similar moods but with a gentler sensory profile.

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Carole King safe
If I Were a Boy
Beyoncé safe
I Contain Multitudes
Bob Dylan safe

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