A

[Verse 1]
          A
Well, you wonder why I always dress in black
                                     B
Why you never see bright colors on my back
    D             A                D             A
And why does my appearance seem to have a sombre tone
                B                                 E7
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on


[Verse 2]
  A
I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down
                                      B
Living in the hopeless hungry side of town
  D                A               D                 A
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime
       B                                  E7
But is there because he's a victim of the times


[Verse 3]
  A
I wear the black for those who've never read
                                    B
Or listened to the words that Jesus said
  D                    A            D             A
About the road to happiness through love and charity
           B                                      E7
Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me


[Verse 4]
            A
Well, we're doing mighty fine I do suppose
                                          B
In our streak of lightning cars and fancy clothes
    D               A             D                 A
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back
   B                                E7
Up front there ought to be a man in black


[Verse 5]
  A
I wear it for the sick and lonely old
                                               B
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold
  D                 A                D                     A
I wear the black in mourning for the lives that could have been
     B                                 E7
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men


[Verse 6]
      A
And I wear it for the thousands who have died
                                    B
Believing that the Lord was on their side
  D            A              D                 A
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died
  B                                E7
Believing that we all were on their side


[Verse 7]
              A
Well, there's things that never will be right I know
                                        B
And things need changing everywhere you go
    D                A              D                 A
But till we start to make a move to make a few things right
       B                            E7
You'll never see me wear a suit of white


[Verse 8]
        A
Oh, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day
                                      B
And tell the world that everything's o-kay
         D            A            D                 A
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back
                B         E7             A
Till things are brighter, I'm the man in black