A DEAL SEALED IN BLOOD
The Man in Black isn’t just a song—it’s a warning, a ghost story, and a crime you can’t take back. It’s a murder ballad in the folkabilly tradition, full of smoke, sin, and the weight of an inescapable fate. The lyrics unravel a tale of a fateful encounter, a robbery gone wrong, and a shadowy figure who vanishes just as the noose tightens. Is he the devil? A figment of guilt? Or something far worse?
A SOUND STRAIGHT OUT OF AN OUTLAW’S NIGHTMARE
Musically, The Man in Black blends the grit of outlaw country with the raw drive of folkabilly. Django McLear’s storytelling cuts through a landscape of rolling acoustic guitars, snappy rhythms, and eerie whistling hooks. Roy Clark-inspired guitar licks add a sharp edge, while the steady pulse of the double bass and drum kit keeps the tension rising. It’s the sound of a wanted man’s last ride—fueled by fear, regret, and the unknown.
A WARNING TO ALL WHO LISTEN
This song is for the outlaws, the drifters, and the ones who know that some deals can’t be undone. The Man in Black isn’t just a figure in the story—he’s the weight of your choices, the shadow in your tracks, the grin in the gallows.
CROSS THE LINE ON APRIL 18, 2025
Streaming
Lyrics
THE MAN IN BLACK
1
I went around a corner, and I saw a man in black
He didn’t say much to me, he just stood right in my tracks
I asked the man what bothered him, he barely answered me
He said there was a job to do, he’d keep good company
Company, company, company
He said there was a job to do, he’d keep good company
2
So we drove downtown for business, to a woman in a store
She asked us, “What’s the matter, boy? I’m closing up at four.”
So I ordered her to listen while I was pointing with my gun
“Open up the goddamn counter, the sooner we’ll be gone.”
We’ll be gone, we’ll be gone, we’ll be gone
“Open up the goddamn counter, the sooner we’ll be gone.”
3
She was a little feisty, so I got a little scared
But the man in black just drew his gun and then he tipped his hat
A pistol was a-blowing, and everywhere flew blood
The man in black, he vanished, oh I swear to God
Swear by God, swear by God, swear by God
The man in black, he vanished, oh I swear byGod
4
Out I was a-running, drove down to Mexico
The cops a-were a-coming, a-coming for my throat
They dragged me to the courthouse I told them, “Find that man.”
I said “He was the shooter”, but the jury gave a crap
gave a crap, gave a crap, gave a crap
I said he was the shooter, but the jury gave a crap
5
So here I sit in Folseom’s pen, a-waiting for my doom
The man in black is a-waiting, in the pale green room
The judge entered his judgment, I’d be put down for good
He told me that I’d have to die, and if I understood
Understood, understood, understood
He told me that I’d have to die, and if I understood
6
When the hangman flipped the lever, I was glowing like a star
The man in black, he shook his head, and smoked a fat cigar
The last thing witnesses saw was the grin on his pale face
Oh boy, you won’t believe it, he vanished in the haze
In the haze, in the haze, in the haze
Oh boy, you won’t believe it, he vanished in the haze
Outro
So here’s the conclusion, listen up to what I tell:
If a man in black stands in your tracks, tell him, “Go to hell.”
Go to hell, go to hell, go to hell
If a man in black stands in your tracks, oh, tell him, “Go to hell.
Credits
Music, Lyrics, Producer, Mixing, Mastering: Marcel J. Wüstner
ISWC: T-325.952.761-8
ISRC: QZHN5253884