Escrita por Johnny Cash, foi gravada em 1971 e lançada em março de 1971 no compacto que tinha Little bit of yesterday como Lado B. Foi também lançada no disco de mesmo nome, em 31 de maio de 1971.
Chegou ao número 3 nos charts contry americanos e número 38 nos charts pop.
A letra:
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
There's a reason for the things that I have on
I wear the black for
the poor and beaten down
Living on the hopeless, hungry side of
town
I wear it for the prisoners who has long paid for his
crime
But is there because hes a victim of the times
I'm the man...
Well 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
do you think Hes talking straight to you and me
Were doing mighty fine
I do suppose
In our streak a lightnin cars and fancy clothes
But,
just so were reminded of the ones who are held back
Up front there
ought to be a man in black
I'm the man, I'm the
man in black
I'm the man, I'm the 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 mourning for the lives that could have
been
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men
Well, there's things
that never will be right, I know
And things need changing
everywhere we go
But til we start to make a move, to make a few
things right
You'll never see me wear a suite of white
Oh, Id love to wear a
rainbow every day
And tell the world that everything's O.K.
But
Ill try to carry off a little darkness on my back
'Til things are
brighter, I'm the man in black
I'm the man, the man in
black
Oh yeah, I'm the man, the man in black...
A versão de Johnny Cash:
A versão de Jerry Edens:
A versão de Raul Malo:
