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Shoeshine Man

by Tom T. Hall

on Greatest Hits (1972), 50 Greatest Hits (2010), Tom T. Hall - Storyteller, Poet, Philosopher (1995)

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...

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...