Man in Black (album)

Man in Black
Studio album by Johnny Cash
Released	May 31, 1971 (1971-05-31)
Recorded	1971
Genre	Country folk blues gospel
Length	28:45
Language	English
Label	Columbia
Producer	Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash chronology
Little Fauss and Big Halsy (1971) Man in Black (1971) Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (1971)
Singles from Man in Black
"Man in Black" Released: February 26, 1971 "Singing in Viet Nam Talking Blues" Released: May 20, 1971

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

Man in Black is the 38th overall album by country singer Johnny Cash, released on Columbia Records in 1971. Many of the songs on the album contain political references, either broad or specific, while the title song refers both to Cash's tendency to wear black at live shows and to the tumultuous times in which the song was created, implying the Vietnam War. The album's name also eventually became Cash's informal nickname, given to him by the public. Two tracks — "Man in Black" and "Singin' in Vietnam Talkin' Blues" — were released as singles, the former peaking at No. 3 on the Country chart. The first track features Billy Graham.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"The Preacher Said Jesus Said" (with Billy Graham)	Johnny Cash	3:39
2.	"Orphan of the Road"	Deena Kaye Rose	3:36
3.	"You've Got a New Light Shining in Your Eyes"	Cash	2:05
4.	"If Not for Love"	Glenn Douglas Tubb, Larry Lee	3:06
5.	"Man in Black"	Cash	2:52
6.	"Singin' in Viet Nam Talkin' Blues"	Cash	2:58
7.	"Ned Kelly"	Cash	2:19
8.	"Look for Me" (with June Carter Cash)	Glen Sherley, Harlan Sanders	2:21
9.	"Dear Mrs."	Cash, Andrew J. Arnette, Jnr.	3:46
10.	"I Talk to Jesus Every Day" (with June Carter Cash)	Glenn Douglas Tubb	2:03
Total length:			28:45

Personnel

• Johnny Cash – vocals, acoustic guitar, production
• Norman Blake  – acoustic guitar
• June Carter Cash  – vocals
• Marshall Grant  – bass guitar
• Billy Graham  – vocals on "The Preacher Said Jesus Said"
• W. S. Holland  – drums
• Farrell Morris – percussion
• Carl Perkins  – electric guitar
• Jerry Shook – acoustic guitar
• Bob Wootton  – electric guitar

Technical

• Charlie Bragg – engineer
• Bill Grein – photography

Charts

Album – Billboard (United States)

Year	Chart	Position
1971	Country Albums	1
	Top LPs [2]	56

Singles – Billboard (United States)

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1971	"Man in Black"	Country Singles	3
		Pop Singles	58
	"Singing in Viet Nam Talking Blues"	Country Singles	18

References

1. Man in Black at AllMusic. Retrieved November 2021.
2. Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top LPs, 1955–1972. Record Research. p. 28. Retrieved July 10, 2025.