Hello, I'm Johnny Cash.

Well, you wonder why I always dress in black, why you never see bright colours on my back,
And why does my appearance seem to have a sombre 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 prisoner who has long paid for his crime, but is there because he's 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 you'd think he's talking straight to you and me.

Well, we're doing mighty fine, I do suppose, in our streak-a-lightning 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'm the man,
I'm the man in black, ooh,
I'm the man,
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, 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,
'Til things are brighter, I'm the man in black, yeah.

I'm the man,
The man in black,
I'm the man,
The man in black, oh yeah,
I'm the man,
The man in black,
I'm the man,
Oh, I am, I am, I am the man in black,
I'm the man,
Because I care,
I'm the man,
Because I believe,
Oh, I'm the man,
I said, I'm the man,
'Til things look brighter,
I'm the man in black.

The man in black,
Oh yeah, I'm the man,
The man in black,
I'm the man,
Yeah, I'm the man in black,
Oh, excuse me Johnny, I guess that's you,
Ah, that's not right; we're all in this together if we're in it at all.