Man in Black (song)

"Man in Black"
Single by Johnny Cash
from the album Man in Black
B-side	"Little Bit of Yesterday"
Released	March 1971
Format	Vinyl
Recorded	1971
Genre	Country folk
Length	2:52
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Johnny Cash
Producer(s)	Johnny Cash

"Man in Black" (or "The Man in Black") is a protest song written and recorded by singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, originally released on his 1971 album of the same name. Cash himself was known as "The Man in Black" for his distinctive style of on-stage costuming. The lyrics are an after-the-fact explanation of this with the entire song as a protest statement against the treatment of poor people by wealthy politicians, mass incarceration, and the war in Vietnam. In the intro to his first performance of the song, Johnny Cash revealed he had talked to some of the audience members from Vanderbilt University that weekend, and was inspired to write "Man in Black", revising it a few times before the concert on Wednesday. At the end of the song he received a standing ovation.

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