Well, I met a man in Montgomery Alabama
I was waiting on a bus and he was shining 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 on the South Side Montgomery Blues
You better stick around and watch me 'cause I'm an entertaining 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-popping daddy o'mine
He shined twelve alligators made a hundred dollar bill one time
And when the 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 hoochy coochy ways
She was bumping and grinding 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