by Johnny Cash

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