Well I met a 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 on the South Side 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

Well I learned my trade from that rag-poppin' 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
[ harmonica ]
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