WCell, you / wonder why I always dress in / black.
WChy you / never see bright colors on my / back, and                 D 
FWhy does my ap - peCarance, seem to / have a Fsombre tone,                    C 
WDell, there's a / reason for the things that I have / oG7n.
I Cwear the / black for the poor and the beaten / down,
CLivin' in the hopeless, hungry side of / town. D 
/ F - C / F - C
I / wear it for the prisoner, who has / long paid for his crime.
/ D / G7
But is / there because he's a victim of the / times.
/ C /
I / wear the black for those, who've never / read,
/ C / D Or /
listened to the words, that Jesus / said,
/ F - C / F - C A -
/ bout the road to happi - ness, through / love and chari - ty,
/ C / G7
Why, you'd / think He's talking straight to you and / me.
/ C /
Well, we're / doin' mighty fine, I do sup - / pose,
/ C / D
In our / streak-of-lightnin' cars and fancy / clothes,
/ F - C / F - C
But / just so we're re -minded, of, the / ones who are held back,
/ C / G7
Up / front there oughta be a man in / black.
/ C /
I / wear it for the sick and lonely / old,
/ C / D
For the / reckless ones, whose bad trip left them / cold,
/ F -C / F - C
I / wear the black in mournin', for the / lives that could have been,
/ C / G7
Each / week we lose a hundred fine young / men. and
/ C /
I / wear it for the thousands who have / died,
/ C / D
Be - / lievin' that the Lord was on their / side,
/ F - C / F - C I
/ wear it for another hundred / thousand who have died,
/ C / G7
Be - / lievin' that we all were on their / side.
/ C /
Well, there's / things that never will be right, I / know, and
CTh[/]inDgs need changin' ev'rywhere you / go,
/ F - C / F - C
But / 'til we start to make a move, to / make a few things right,
/ C / G7
You'll / never see me wear a suit of / white.
/ C /
Aw! I'd / love to wear a rainbow every / day, and
/ D
Tell the world that ev'rything's / OK,
/ F - C / F - C
But I'll / try to carry off a little / darkness on my back,
/ C - G7 / C
'Til / things are brighter, I'm the man in / black.