Here comes the "Man in Black"

I am currently getting a new tattoo added to my body. I went three weeks ago to get the outline done. Its fairly large, complicated, and my tattoo artist is a perfectionist. Just for the outline it took 9hrs... straight... no breaks... at all. So I was in a twisted contorted position for that whole time. So I have nothing to do but focus on the needle drilling my skin. The radio was on to CHOM 97.7 Classic Rock... and I think I listened to every single classic rock song ever created.

But the tattoo was far from done and I had to return three weeks later to see if we could get it finished up. NO chance there! I spent another 10hrs in contorted positions. Cirque de Soleil has nothing on me! We did take a break though... but you know what we did on our break? My tattoo artist worked on another older tattoo I have that needed retouching! He is very good at his job. This time we listened to CD's and one of them was a Johnny Cash greatest hits kind of thing. I really like his work. I like his story telling style and his attention to those we would most likely want to skip over.

The song "Man in Black" is not just a song but it is a statement of faith, a mission, and a life philosophy. I enjoy hearing something deeper in music that a catchy beat and people going on talking about their bitches and hoes... I heard this song yesterday and I am dressed in black today to remind myself of how much hearing Johnny Cash at 10pm at night in a tattoo parlour meant to me. (lyrics below)

"Man In Black"

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.