Well, I met the man in Montgomery, Alabama

I was waitin' on a bus and he was shinin' shoes

And I heard him say

I'm a shoeshine man, number one in the land

A shoeshine man, make you shine where you stand

Leave me a tip if you can, I'm a shoeshine man

Well, I can sing, I can dance, I can play the harmonica too

I got a brand new thing called the southside Montgomery Blues

You better stick around and watch me 'cause I'm an entertainin' fool

I'm a shoeshine man, number one in the land

A shoeshine man, make you shine where you stand

Leave me a tip if you can, I'm a shoeshine man

Well, I learned my trade from that rag-poppin' daddy of mine

He shined a pair of alligators, made a hundred-dollar bill one time

Said, "When that meat gets scarce, I shine two or three pairs for a dime"

I'm a shoeshine man, number one in the land

A shoeshine man, make you shine where you stand

Leave me a tip if you can, I'm a shoeshine man

I had a girl that helped me, she had a lotta hoochie-coochie ways

She was bumpin' and grindin', paid that girl a dollar a day

But she was shy on age and the law come and took her away

I'm a shoeshine man, number one in the land

A shoeshine man, make you shine where you stand

Leave me a tip if you can, I'm a shoeshine man