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Johnny Cash
1932 - 2003
Man In Black
Well, you wonder why I always
dress in black,
Why you never see bright colors
on my back,
And why does my appearance
seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there's a reason for
the things that I have on.
I wear the black for the poor
and the beaten down,
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry
side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner
who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he's
a victim of the times.
I wear the black for those
who never read,
Or listened to the words that
Jesus said,
About the road to happiness
through love and charity,
Why, you'd think He's talking
straight to you and me.
Well, we're doin' mighty fine,
I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin'
cars and fancy clothes,
But just so we're reminded
of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought 'a be
a Man In Black.
I wear it for the sick and
lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose
bad trip left them cold,
I wear the black in mournin'
for the lives that could have been,
Each week we lose a hundred
fine young men.
And, I wear it for the thousands
who have died,
Believen' that the Lord was
on their side,
I wear it for another hundred
thousand who have died,
Believen' that we all were
on their side.
Well, there's things that never
will be right I know,
And things need changin' everywhere
you go,
But 'til we start to make
a move to make a few things right,
You'll never see me wear a
suit of white.
Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow
every day,
And tell the world that everything's
OK,
But I'll try to carry off
a little darkness on my back,
'Till things are brighter,
I'm the Man In Black.
By: John R. Cash, © 1971
House of Cash, Inc.
Recorded February 16, 1971
Number 3 - Country Charts;
Number 58 - Pop Charts
Johnny and June
A Year ago on the patio of
their home in Hendersonville, Tennessee
