I knew a man Bojangles Always danced with worn out shoes The silver hair, a ragged shirt And bare ragged paints The old soft shoe He jumps so high He jumps so high and Then he lightly touches down I met him in a New Orleans cafè He was down and out I knew a man, Bojangles, and he danced for you In worn out shoes With silver hair, a ragged shirt and baggy pants The old soft shoe He jumped so high, jumped so high, then he lightly touched down I met him in a cell in New Orleans, I was So down and out He looked at me to be the eyes of age As he spoke right out He talked of life, he talked of life He laughed, clicked heels instead Mister Bojangles Mister Bojangles Mister Bojangles Dance! He danced for those at minstrel shows and county fairs Throughout the south He spoke with tears of fifteen years How his dog and he traveled about His dog up and died, dog up and died After twenty years he still grieved He said, I dance now at every chance in honky tonks For drinks and tips But most of the time I spend behind these county bars He said, I drink a bit He shook his head and as he shook his head I heard someone ask, please Mister Bojangles Mister Bojangles Mister Bojangles Dance!