Johnny Cash: Man In Black

"Man in Black" (or "The Man in Black") is a protest song written and sung by and about Johnny 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-stage costuming. The lyrics are an after-the-fact explanation of this with the entire song as a protest statement with statements such as:

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 has long paid for his crime, But still is there because he's a victim of the times.

In the intro to his first performance of the song, Johnny Cash revealed he had talked to some of the audience members that weekend, and was inspired to write "Man in Black", revising it a few times before the concert on Wednesday. At the end of the song he received a standing ovation.

Wikipedia:  Man in Black (song)

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 has long paid for his crime,

But is there because he's a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who 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 'a 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,

Believen' that the Lord was on their side,

I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,

Believen' 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 OK,

But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,

'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black.

"Man In Black"
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~(Johnny Cash)~
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"Farther Along"

Tempted and tried we're often made to wonder

Why it should be thus all the day long
While there are others living about us

Never molested, though in the wrong

Farther along we'll know all about it

Farther along we'll understand why

Cheer up my brother, live in the sunshine

We'll understand it all by and by

When death has come and taken our loved ones

It leaves our home so lonely and true

Then do we wonder why others prosper

Living so wicked year after year

Farther along we'll know all about it

Farther along we'll understand why

Cheer up my brother, live in the sunshine

We'll understand it all by and by

Wikipedia: Farther Along (song)

The lyrics to the song were written in 1911 by Rev. W. A. Fletcher, an itinerant preacher, while he was traveling to the Indian Territories by train. Fletcher was feeling depressed because his wife, Catherine Louise Emmett Fletcher of Cleburne, Texas, was expecting their first-born child in a few weeks and he wouldn't be present for the occasion. He felt that his priorities were with his ministry in the Indian Territories and wrote the lyrics to reflect his frame of mind at the time. Sitting next to him on the train was J. R. Baxter, a gospel music promoter who was quite taken with the lyrics that Fletcher was writing and offered him $2.00 for them. Mr. Baxter subsequently had them put to music and the song has been quite popular in the gospel music arena ever since.

The song deals with a Christian's dismay at the apparent prosperity of the wicked, when contrasted with the suffering of the righteous. The repeated theme is that, "farther along" (in Heaven, perhaps), the truth will be revealed.