Cash, Johnny - The Man In Black Lyrics






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 is long paid for his crime
But is there because he's a victim of the times

I wear the black for those who've 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 to 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
Believin' that the Lord was on their side
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died
Believin' 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 okay
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back
Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black





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Cash, Johnny The Man In Black Comments
  1. K.... H....

    Rip man in Black

  2. s.... s....

    Until trump is no longer president, I'm the man in black.

  3. T.... C....

    He was the greatest rapper ever live

  4. O.... ....

    ive heared this song several hundred times.. masterpiece

  5. b.... s....

    That Vibe Cash 🙏🙏

  6. l.... ....

    Even with the religious sections that make me cringe inside, this doesn't matter because of how perfect the meaning and words are behind the song. I don't always think of this as a song but more of a protest and confession with a musical backing. What brilliant simple poetry.

  7. S.... Z....

    Wasn't the reason he wore black was because it looked nice and clean and was easy for long tours I think during his military service n such as well?

  8. G.... S....

    Great song with perfect lead guitar by Bob Wootton...his guitar playing on this recording is the BEST example of the Luther Perkins style lead guitar style that MADE JOHNNY CASH and Bob Wootton stepped it up just enough to make it the best.

  9. A.... R....

    Hello YouTube ✨~ if I knew how to share this back to you-guys I would. 💚~ This song has had the biggest influence on me of any song. 🙏

  10. j.... p....

    I love💓 this song because of its lyrics

  11. M.... ....

    *_Thanks, Chicken In Black..._*

  12. L.... D....

    The original MIB

  13. C.... M....

    JOHN HAD HIS DEMONS LIKE WE ALL DO OR HAD, I AM SO BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN RAISED IN MUSIC LIKE HIS AND OTHERS!!! HE IS A PIONEER, A LEGEND TRULY MISSED AND VERY RESPECTED...GOD BLESS YOU MAN IN BLACK, NOW YOU WILL WEAR WHITE!!!

  14. J.... W....

    Jesus didn’t say anything about happiness
    In fact Christians often get the exact opposite while on earth

  15. P.... S....

    It’s sad how he never wore a suit of white on stage. (I don’t think)

  16. T.... D....

    The thing about cash I liked about was that he never BSed anything, he gave it how it was. “I’d love to wear a rainbow everyday, and tell the world that everything’s okay. But until things are brighter, I’m the man in black”

  17. R.... C....

    "I'd love ❤ to wear a 🌈 rainbow everyday"...Jonny Cash, but "I won't lie to ya either, this is a dangerous place we have come to"...
    Game of Thrones

  18. E.... D....

    no chance, buddy. unlucky

  19. P.... S....

    Best song ever

  20. C.... ....

    "You look like you're going to a funeral"
    "Maybe I am"

  21. S.... C....

    Ii just love this song cause it remind us that jesus is good and that the lord is with us every day.

  22. w.... c....

    "You look like you're going to a funeral"
    "maybe I am"!

  23. N.... B....

    Amen Johnny amen

  24. P.... S....

    Sad to know..




    He’s always the man in black

  25. A.... S....

    Becuase of this I donated $20 to my school charity.



    Its all I had.

  26. C.... J....

    I wish more people would have his empathy for others

  27. T.... ....

    Deep lyrics.

  28. S.... ....

    Yeah good song!

  29. R.... A....

    One of my favorite song Johnny

  30. L.... S....

    If I could dislike the dislike button, I would

  31. F.... J....

    Mid to late 90's i worked at Sams Club south of Detroit and we had a manager at one point whom had been transferred from Nashville.. He said Johnny Cash was a regular member there and would come in by himself especially at Christmas and holidays, fill up his cart with gifts and yes he wore black!!!

  32. C.... V....

    2019.. still great

    C.... V....

    Wrong year

  33. T.... B....

    Be kind to the poor

  34. R.... ....

    Johnny was the first goth mood.

  35. A.... .....

    White,straight,Christian,purity The way of happiness 🇺🇸🇨🇦

  36. M.... P....

    Johnny Cash showed who he was by those he associated with when he played. One was Pete Seeger when Pete wasn't so popular because of his political beliefs, and Johnny had Pete on with his fretless banjo. One thing about Pete was, if he played, and you were in the audience, you got in on the performance. Here is a number Pete did in Melbourne, Australia, in 1962, where he taught his Aussie audience how to yodel
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwe2pUI6P5E

  37. C.... B....

    When I was a little girl I was very moved by this song. Told my family since he's the man in black I will be the girl in black...

  38. M.... K....

    this man is sent from heaven to sing !

  39. B.... ....

    Man in black??? Whos this fella? A prison rapist?

  40. L.... S....

    Rest in peace, the man in black.


    I like very little country music, but practically every song by Johnny Cash is great. It makes me sad that kids growing up these days probably wont ever hear his music.

  41. T.... E....

    I wish Johnny Cash would have been one of the presidents.

  42. t.... r....

    I wear black because I'm the grim reaper wife to be
    I wear black because I'm already dead
    That's why I tried to commit suicide
    That's why I wear black

  43. F.... F....

    Dislikes are gay,Change my mind.

  44. K.... r....

    I love the color black because it represents the world perfectly, void of color or vibrance but full of dark, gloom and sin. Cash died before I could met him sadly.

  45. R.... R....

    Fucking badass song. I bought this record remastered for my dad. He fixed his record player just to play it and put it on the top shelf 😎

  46. S.... P....

    A wise man once said "You are never truly wealthy without Cash"

  47. J.... F....

    Subtle reminder that the US hasn't gotten better, it's gotten worse on some fronts. We're the incarceration capital of the world, with the highest reported rate of all countries.

  48. D.... ....

    The lyrics to this would make a killer emo song, ngl(minus the shit about Jesus)

  49. d.... ....

    There are at least 1k idiots in this world...

  50. M.... C....

    Well you wonder why I dress in black

  51. P.... P....

    I think I'd sell my soul for Johnny to come back and show everyone true music.

  52. G.... T....

    THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING UP FOR THE GOTH CROWD, MR. CASH

  53. �.... �....

    I wish good things upon all of humanity <3

    Except the 1k morons who disliked this song.

  54. T.... X....

    Great song!!😎🎸🔥🔥

  55. T.... C....

    Now playing
    Area 51 Blues

    By Johnny Cash

  56. J.... K....

    I love Johnny cash see ya in heaven

  57. K.... I....

    You do not get the message because you need new heart.
    Johnny knows JESUS as his personal Lord and Savior.
    And by the way , if you do not have something good to say about people, keep your mouth shut

  58. h.... ....

    Johnny Cash the real deal...

  59. E.... H....

    Johnny was the best and his songs always tell a story rip we miss you

  60. D.... D....

    Still relevant to this day.

  61. Z.... ....

    This is gonna be the song of the 2020s....people dealing with inequality, automation, outsourcing, opiods, and social turmoil. Need to treat each other well. This song is so so relevant

  62. K.... _....

    After this I listen to exposes yourself by Gg Allin after this so I could cleanse my soul

  63. G.... ....

    I relate to this song way to much

  64. A.... M....

    Now I know what to say or sing when someone asks me why I’m wearing black

  65. A.... N....

    Damn right Johnny!

  66. K.... S....

    People always call me gothic because I wear black but that's not correct I wear black cause I'm carrying on Cash's legacy

  67. P.... C....

    😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

  68. l.... k....

    It gets me

  69. D.... L....

    This world has always been messed up and Johnny Cash sums it up so well.

    D.... L....

    You are american???

  70. C.... D....

    I can only Imagine Darth Vader singing this

  71. J.... P....

    All my respect for that giant. A song that touches any soul.

  72. F.... F....

    if you disliked this absolute legend i dislike you very much as cringe as this shit is that man has gone through so much in his life time this is real music.

  73. O.... T....

    A visionar. May God bless his soul.

    O.... T....

    @Othelo The Moor
    Je n'ai pas de femme lol mais merci à toi camarade internaute. Tu parles français ou tu te sers de google traduction comme moi??? Tu es fan d'Alain Delon??? Moi je n'a jamais regardé un film d'Alain Delon.

    O.... T....

    @Dégage Delà Alors, pour t'amie. Je parles francais mais je n"ai pas assez d"exercise. Alain Delon este un de les plus grand acteurs du monde.Peut-être que tu est trop jeune est ne le pris pas pendant sa periode de glorie. Tu puex choisir toutes que tous veux de ses filmes.

    O.... T....

    @Othelo The Moor
    Je connais Alain Delon comme tout les français mais je n'ai jamais vu un de ses films. Tu connais Jean Paul Belmondo aussi???

    O.... T....

    Tu connais qui d'autre comme acteur français???

  74. B.... F....

    Most true message of any song out there. We have a LOT to learn from this song. If we can learn to work together and forget our differences we can achieve so much. Thank you Johnny Cash for your fantastic massage.

  75. T.... F....

    Teammate: "Why is our Sniper dressed in nothing but black dyed cosmetics?"
    Me: * mic-spams this song *

  76. T.... C....

    his songs are really religious and i am an atheist but i still love it this man was a really good the real deal i must say

  77. N.... D....

    I WEAR JET BLACK CLOTHING
    I DIDN’T KNOW WHY I JUST DID
    THEN ONE DAY I HEARD THIS SONG

    N.... D....

    You are american???

  78. B.... S....

    What a philosophy,think about it. Love this guy

  79. L.... S....

    El Iorio/Larralde estadounidense 😅😄

    L.... S....

    You are american???

    L.... S....

    @Dégage Delà American as ,part of the continent yes!!! But American as "united states" No, I'm from Argentina.

  80. T.... L....

    Much Love to the Man N The Black 💯💗💞💗💞🖤

  81. N.... K....

    If Johnny was here he’d be discussed of the so called “ artists” we have now

  82. M.... D....

    I was drunk af one day long time ago, I dropped my phone to the snow and couldn´t find for some time.. when I finally found it, this song was changed for a ringtune :D kid you not! :D

  83. J.... M....

    I don't understand how anyone could thumbs down this song and what it represents.

  84. 2.... 2....

    the mule

  85. J.... S....

    This is the greatest written song since King David walked the Earth.

  86. E.... G....

    I love the right trying to lay claim to any of his works. Just listen here, connect the dots, who wears black, and stands for the poor and the downtrodden? I wonder

    E.... G....

    Not the ones promoting a welfare state to keep people perpetually broke while virtue signaling to ignorant motherfuckers like yourself that are too fucking stupid to understand these songs OR how the welfare programs make people stay poor. Educate yourself, kid...

  87. M.... S....

    johnny cash is the Elvis Presley of country

  88. x.... b....

    i love it

  89. S.... S....

    not a country song...folk-rock

    S.... S....

    You are american???

  90. C.... J....

    Total Legend.
    Looks like nothing ever improved, he never put on the white suit.


    Sad.

  91. T.... P....

    Me 😅 CREDERE

    T.... P....

    You are american???

  92. s.... l....

    Until things are brighter, I'm the man in black.

    Very good line.
    There shouldn't be a dislike button for this song.
    Johnny Cash. . . Because he was genuine and not made up by Hollywood or Nashville. Just a man.

  93. h.... m....

    As a fan of hip hop and rap I can say that I love any Cash song

    h.... m....

    You are american???

    h.... m....

    Dégage Delà yea

    h.... m....

    @harvir mangat
    He is known Johnny Cash in the United States ???

  94. D.... K....

    If someone ever asks me why i wear black so much i'll just show them this song

  95. G.... d....

    RIP Johnny.....

  96. a.... ....

    ...up front there ought to be a man in black...🔥

  97. M.... A....

    Strong words from a man full of wisdom. If people are still listening to this kind of music and hear every word Johnny Cash convey in this song it will be less suffering in this world. God bless you, man in Black !

    M.... A....

    You are american???

  98. A.... t....

    Anyone else reminded of the dark tower with this "the man in black" "the prisoner" etc
    I reckon King found some inspiration here...

  99. T.... C....

    Why the hell did 1k people dislike