Other arrangements of The Man In Black
Pick a learning view.
(G7)Well, you (C)won der black why I al ways dress in black,
why you nev er see the col ors on my (D)back,
and (F)why does my ap (C)pear ance ness seem to (F)have a som ber (C)tone.
Well, there’s a (D)rea son for the things that I have (G)on.
Ah, I (C)wear the black for the poor and the beat en down
liv in’ in the hope less, hun gry side of (D)town.
I (F)wear the black for the (C)pris ’ner who has (F)long paid for his (C)crime,
but is (D)there be cause he’s a (D7)vic tim of the (G)times.
I (C)wear the black for I those who nev er read
or you lis tened to the words that Je sus (D)said
a (F)bout the road to (C)hap pi ness through to (F)love and char i (C)ty.
Why, you’d (D)think He’s talk ing straight to you and (G)me.
Ah, we’re (C)do ing might y the fine, I the do sup pose,
in our “streak of light ning” cars and fan cy (D)clothes:
but (F)just so we’re re the (C)mind ed of the (F)ones who are held (C)back
Up is (D)front there ought a a (D7)be a man in (G)black.
I
I (C)wear it nev for the sick and lone ly old,
for the reck less one whose bad trip left them (D)cold;
I un (F)wear the black in (Em)mourn ing move for the (Dm)lives that could have (C)been.
Each (D)week we lose a (D7)hun dred fine young (G)men.
Ah, I (C)wear it for the thou sands who have died
be liev ing that the Lord was on their (D)side.
And I (F)wear it for an (Em)oth er lit hun dred (Dm)thou sand (G7)who have (C)died
be (D)liev ing that we (D7)all were on their (G)side.
Well, there’s (C)things that nev er the will be right, I know,
and the things need chang ing ev ’ry where you (D)go.
But un (F)til we start to (Em)make a move to the (Dm)make a few things (C)right,
you’ll (D)nev er see me (D7)wear a suit of (G)white.
Oh, I’d (C)love to wear a rain bow ev ’ry day,
and tell the world that ev ’ry thing’s o (D)kay,
but I’ll (F)try to car ry (Em)off a lit tle dred (Dm)dark ness (G7)on my (C)back.
’Til (D)things are bright er, (D7)all were on their (G)side.
Well, there’s I’m the man in (C)black.
The Man In Black — Karaoke: Lyrics & Chords to Sing & Play Along
1 person has learned this song
Free karaoke for "The Man In Black" by Johnny Cash: lyrics on screen with the chords above each line and a bouncing ball that lands on every word in time. Sing along, or play along on guitar or piano from the chord chart. Change the key to fit your voice, slow the tempo down. Key of C, 120 BPM.
Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.
Try other practice modes:
About “The Man In Black”
- What key is "The Man In Black" by Johnny Cash played in?
- The Man In Black is arranged in the key of C on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "The Man In Black"?
- The arrangement plays at 120 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "The Man In Black" easy to play on piano?
- Yes — this is one of our beginner-friendly arrangements with simplified chords and color-coded notes.
- Can I download sheet music for "The Man In Black"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "The Man In Black"?
- "The Man In Black" was originally performed by Johnny Cash. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What other songs by Johnny Cash can I play here?
- Try "GOD'S GONNA CUT YOU DOWN", "IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND", "HELP ME". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is there a karaoke version of "The Man In Black" with lyrics?
- Yes — this is a free karaoke slide for "The Man In Black" by Johnny Cash. The lyrics appear on screen a line at a time and each word lights up exactly when it's sung, with a bouncing ball leading you word to word. A backing plays underneath so you can just sing.
- Does it show chords so I can play along on guitar or piano?
- It does — a chord symbol sits on a thin row just above the lyric it changes on, so the same screen doubles as a lyrics-and-chords chart. Guitarists can strum the changes and pianists can comp while singing; the chords are colour-coded and move with the live transpose if you change key.
- Can I change the key of "The Man In Black" to match my voice or capo?
- Yes. The original is in C, but the live transpose control shifts the whole song up or down semitones until the melody sits in your range (or maps to an easier guitar shape / capo position) — the on-screen chords and the backing move with it.
- Can I slow "The Man In Black" down to learn the words and chords?
- Yes — the tempo control lets you take it as slow as you need while the lyrics still light up in time and the ball keeps you on the beat. Speed it back up once you can sing and play it through.