He lived down by the railroad track
Had an old wood stove and a one room shack
Shoestring was the only name he had

When I'd skip school he'd take me fishin'
Sittin' on a creek bank talkin' and wishin'
Things were good whenever times got bad

And the people say
Shoestring you ain't got no money!
Shoestring ya can't hang around here!
Shoestring ya got your hat on back'rds!

He knows more than most folks do
But he don't talk unless you ask him to

When the winter comes and the wind blows mean
Shoestring hops that southbound train
Rides it down below that Florida line

But he's layin' low and pickin' fruit
Sleepin' in his worn out shoes
But he'll always come back come summertime

And the folks say
Shoestring you ain't got no money!
Shoestring ya can't hang around here!
Shoestring ya got your hat on back'rds!

He knows more than most folks do
But he don't talk unless you ask him to

Last time I looked and found him gone
Folks said he's in an old folks home
Shoestring done retired on Uncle Sam

He's livin' it up in his private room
Playin' checkers and eatin' prunes
Shoestring ain't no ordinary man

Still the people say
Shoestring you ain't got no money!
Shoestring ya can't hang around here!
Shoestring ya got your hat on back'rds!

He knows more than most folks do
But he don't talk unless you ask him to

Shoestring you ain't got no money!
Shoestring ya can't hang around here!
Shoestring ya got your hat on back'rds!

He knows more than most folks do
But he don't talk unless you ask him to