"Man in Black" is a protest song

Protest song

A protest song is a song which is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of topical songs . It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre...

 written and sung by and about Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash

John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...

, 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

Costume

The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...

. The lyrics are an after-the-fact explanation of this with the entire song as a protest statement with statements such as:

Chart performance

Chart (1971)	Peak position
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	2
Canadian RPM Top Singles	38
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	3
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	58

Cover versions

• One Bad Pig
  One Bad Pig
  One Bad Pig is a Christian punk and metal crossover band from Austin, Texas which formed in 1985. The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music describes them as "Quite possibly the most popular hard-punk act ever to arise within the Christian music scene." They were known for their mischief and...
  
  
• The Bouncing Souls
  The Bouncing Souls
  The Bouncing Souls are a punk rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 1987. By the time of their acknowledgment by the national punk rock scene, they had reignited a "pogo" element to New Jersey punk rock by playing fast light-hearted songs, a model followed by various other local...
  
  
• Loquillo - El hombre de negro (in Spanish)