Man in Black by Johnny Cash

MAN IN BLACK

BY

JOHNNY CASH

The interpretation of Man in Black as seen by Johnny Cash, is to make a statement to the world why you never see bright colors on his back. He was making a statement about the variety of people that are struggling in life in some way. For example, people that are poor, beaten down, hopeless, hungry, prisoners that have long paid their crime, for those who have never heard what Jesus said, and just for the unfortunate. He also talks about the rich people in their "streak of lightning cars and fancy clothes." Even though he was able to have the "colorful life" he chose to identify with the struggling people by wearing black. As much as he would like to wear a rainbow everyday and tell the world that everything is okay, he's still the man in black.

The song is significant to a lot of people because it shows that even rich people can care about the unfortunate. I like this song because it is straightforward instead of putting useless happy thoughts inside our minds. I like artists that use their lyrics to relate to everyday people and not just the rich and famous.

Every verse consists of four lines. The first two lines rhyme, and so do the following two lines. For example: "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." Another poetic devise used is that he talks about the truth of the world. The color black normally represents sadness and it sets the tone for his feeling about the world and the sad state of affairs.

...