Get Rhythm! When You Get The Blues
Posted: Tuesday, October 09, 2007
by David Tanguay
I’m going back in time to a simpler lifestyle when getting your shoes shine wasn’t a money making racket as it is in most towns today. Talk about a 10-cent shoeshine from a little boy who would work his heart out and enjoyed every minute of it. A place in time when the man getting his shoes shined felt a sense of guilt just watching that little man at his feet giving it his best.
There is no other recording artist who can bring out the feeling of rhythm in these shoeshine boys like the late Johnny Cash. The lyrics to this song I present in this article tell their story however, I’d recommend getting a copy of this song and listening to it. I guarantee it will shake all your troubles from your worried mind. The title of the song is “what else?" (GET RHYTHM)
Hey, get rhythm when you get the blues
Come on, get rhythm when you get the blues
Get a rock 'n' roll feelin' in your bones
Put taps on your toes and get goin
Get rhythm when you get the blues
A Little shoeshine boy never gets low down
But he's got the dirtiest job in town
Bendin' low at the peoples' feet
On the windy corner of the dirty street
Well, I asked him while he shined my shoes
How'd he keep from gettin' the blues
He grinned as he raised his little head
Popped a shoeshine rag and then he said
Get rhythm when you get the blues
Come on, get rhythm when you get the blues
A jumpy rhythm makes you feel so fine
It'll shake all the trouble from your worried mind
Get rhythm when you get the blues
Get rhythm when you get the blues
Come on , get rhythm when you get the blues
Get a rock 'n' roll feelin' in your bones
Put taps on your toes and get goin
Get rhythm when you get the blues
Well, I sat down to listen to the shoeshine boy
And I thought I was gonna jump for joy
Slapped on the shoe polish left and right
He took a shoeshine rag and he held it tight
He stopped once to wipe the sweat away
I said you're a mighty little boy to be-a workin' that way
He said I like it with a big wide grin
Kept on a poppin' and he said again
Get rhythm when you get the blues
Come on, get rhythm when you get the blues
It only costs a dime, just a nickel a shoe
Does a million dollars worth of good for you
Get rhythm when you get the blues
hi david, nice lyrics, thank you for bringing them to our attention. i have a cd i bought of johnny cash, for the song entitled hurt. it's excellent, as i believe, is johnny cash's singing. and it was a nice little nostalgia to remember the shoe shine. best regards, suePlease log in to respond to this comment.
