The Reverend Mr. Black  

by Johnny Cash   written by Billy Edd & Jed Peters

Recitation:

He rode easy in the saddle he was tall and lean

And at first you'd a-thought nothing but a streak of mean 

Could make a man look so down right strong 

But one look in his eyes and you know you was wrong 

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He was a mountain of a man and I want you to know 

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He could preach hot hell in freezing snow 

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He carried a Bible in a canvas sack 

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And folks just called him The Reverend Mr. Black 

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He was poor as a beggar but he rode like a king 

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Sometimes in the evening I'd hear him sing

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I gotta walk that lonesome valley I gotta to walk it by myself 

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Oh nobody else can walk it for me I got to walk it by myself

Recitation:

If ever I could have thought this man in black  

Was soft and had any yellow up his back  

I gave that notion up the day 

A lumberjack came in and it wasn't to pray 

Yeah he kicked open the meeting house door 

And he cussed everybody up and down the floor 

Then when things got quiet in the place 

He walked up and cusses in the preacher's face 

He hit that Reverend like a kick of a mule 

And to my way of thinking it took a pure fool 

To turn the other cheek to that lumber jack

But that's what he did  The Reverend Mr. Black 

He stood like a rock a man among men 

And he let that lumberjack hit him again

And then with a voice as quiet as could be 

He cut him down like a big oak tree when he said

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You gotta walk that lonesome valley you gotta to walk it by yourself 

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Oh nobody else can walk it for you  you got to walk it by yourself

Recitation:

It's been many years since we had to part 

And I guess I learned his ways by heart 

I can still hear his sermon's ring 

Down in the valley where he used to sing 

I followed him  yes sir  and I don't regret it 

And I hope I will always be a credit to his memory 

Cause I want you to understand 

The Reverend Mr. Black was my old man

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I gotta walk that lonesome valley I gotta to walk it by myself 

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Oh nobody else can walk it for me I got to walk it by myself