Mr Bo Jangles
Harry Belafonte Lyrics

Oh I knew a man, Bojangles and he danced for you
I once knew a man named Bojangles who was known for his dancing skills

In worn out shoes
Despite his worn-out shoes, he continued to dance

With silver hair and ragged shirt and baggy pants
He had silver hair and wore ragged clothing while dancing in baggy pants

The old soft shoe
He was known for his performance of the soft shoe dance

He jumped so high, he jumped so high
He had incredible physical agility and could jump very high

Then he'd lightly touch down
Despite his amazing jumps, he always landed gracefully

Mister Bojangles, Mister Bojangles
The man's name was Bojangles and people called him 'Mister' out of respect

Mister Bojangles dance
Bojangles was known for his impressive dance moves

I met him in a cell in New Orleans
While in jail in New Orleans, I met Bojangles

I was down and out
I was struggling and in a difficult situation at the time

He looked to me to be the eyes of age
Despite his physical agility, he had a look of weariness and experience in his eyes

As he spoke right out
He was candid and honest in his speech

He talked of life, he talked of life
Bojangles shared stories and lessons he had learned through his life experiences

He laughed, slapped his leg a step
He had a good sense of humor and would often slap his leg while telling a joke

He spoke the name Bojangles then he danced a lick
He referred to himself by his nickname and then performed a quick dance move

Across the cell
He danced across the small space in the jail cell

He grabbed his pants, a better stance
He adjusted his pants for a more comfortable and stable position while dancing

Oh he jumped so high, he clicked his heels
He amazed the singer by jumping very high and even clicking his heels together mid-air

He let go a laugh, he let go a laugh
He had a joyful spirit and would often laugh freely

Shook back his clothes all around
He would shake his clothes while dancing to add flair and style to his performance

He danced for those at minstrel shows and county fairs
Bojangles performed at various events such as minstrel shows and county fairs

Throughout the south
He performed in many cities throughout the southern region of the United States

He spoke with tears of fifteen years how his dog and him
He shared a touching story of how he and his dog had traveled together for fifteen years

Traveled about
They traveled to various places together

His dog up and died, his dog up and died
Sadly, Bojangles' dog passed away

After twenty years he still grieves
Even after many years, Bojangles was still deeply affected by the loss of his beloved pet

He said I dance now at every chance in Honky tonks
Nowadays, Bojangles dances whenever he has the opportunity, mostly at honky tonks

For drinks and tips
He dances in exchange for drinks and tips from the audience

But most the time I spend behind these county bars
Unfortunately, he spends a lot of time in jail

'Cause I drinks a bit
He admits that his habitual drinking is the reason he ends up in jail often

He shook his head
Bojangles became solemn and regretful

And as he shook his head
The artist observed Bojangles' body language

I heard someone ask please
Someone nearby asked a question politely

Mister Bojangles, Mister Bojangles
The person called out to Bojangles by his name and title

Mister Bojangles, oh dance
They asked Bojangles to perform his signature dance move