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 is long paid for his crime   But is there because he's a victim of the times      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 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 to 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   Believin' that the Lord was on their side   I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died   Believin' 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 okay   But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back   Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black