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 — Classic Piano Sheet Music
1 person has learned this song
Read "The Man In Black" by Johnny Cash in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of C. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 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”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "The Man In Black"?
- Yes — the score is rendered server-side from the publisher MusicXML using Verovio (the same engine RISM and OpenScore use). Standard piano notation, treble + bass staves, real chord symbols, key signature C. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- 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 this the same notation a piano teacher would hand me?
- Yes — "The Man In Black" is rendered at engraver quality (the Verovio engine, the same toolkit RISM and OpenScore editions use) from the original publisher MusicXML. You get standard piano notation: treble + bass clefs, key signature C, time signature, beams, dynamics — everything a printed sheet music book would have. Great for piano students learning to read music properly.
- What's the difference between Sheet Music and the other modes here?
- Sheet Music is the "classic" view — the one your piano teacher uses. Other modes (Beginner, Fall Down, Simple Sheet, Lead Sheet) trade real notation for color-coded notes and falling shapes to help absolute beginners. Use Sheet Music once you're ready to read both hands at once from real notation.
- Can I practice from this view at my own pace?
- Yes — slow the tempo from 120 BPM down (or up) without changing the pitch. The score scrolls in time and the currently playing note is highlighted, so you can drill a tough bar at half speed and bump it up once it feels comfortable.
- Why can I click a note in the score?
- Every notehead is interactive. Click and the audio jumps to that moment so you can drill a specific phrase or bar instead of replaying from the top. The currently playing note is highlighted as the music advances so your eye never loses its place.
- Can I download the sheet music as a PDF?
- Yes — Sheet Music PDF is one of the download formats for this song. The engraved score prints page-perfect on A4 / Letter so you can practice from paper as well as on screen.