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| "Man in Black" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single byJohnny Cash | ||||
| from the albumMan in Black | ||||
| B-side | "Little Bit of Yesterday" | |||
| Released | March 1971 | |||
| Recorded | 1971 | |||
| Genre | Country folk,protest song[1] | |||
| Length | 2:52 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Johnny Cash | |||
| Producer(s) | Johnny Cash | |||
| Johnny Cash singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Man in Black" (or "The Man in Black") is aprotest song written and recorded by singer-songwriterJohnny 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-stagecostuming. The lyrics are an after-the-fact explanation of this with the entire song a protest statement against the treatment ofpoor people bywealthy politicians, mass incarceration, and theVietnam War.
In the intro to his first performance of the song, Cash revealed he had talked to some of the audience members fromVanderbilt University that weekend, and was inspired to write "Man in Black," revising it a few times just before the concert on Wednesday. He performed the song using cards with the just-revised lyrics. At the end of the song he received a standing ovation. The song was the opening track of the posthumous Cash album,Johnny Cash and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 2020.
In 1991, Christian punk bandOne Bad Pig recorded a version on their albumI Scream Sunday, in which Johnny Cash made a guest appearance.[2] In 1993, Spanish rock bandLoquillo y Trogloditas recorded a cover of the song in Spanish for their albumMientras respiremos. In 2020,Andy Allo released a cover of this song.[3]
| Chart (1971) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USHot Country Songs (Billboard)[4] | 3 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[5] | 58 |
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