[Verse 1]
It hardly seems a long time, just a minute of the day
But the man who stood beside me more than gave himself away
The food stain on his spotted shirt, the gray beard on his face
A man composed of many names, so I just called him Ace
[Chorus]
But Ace can't read and Ace can't write
And he sleeps on a bench at night
A little man the world has left behind
He ain't bitter, he ain't sweet
He makes his living on the street
Never knowing what he's gonna find
[Verse 2]
Born in Mississippi, picking cotton as a child
He left soon for the city where he heard that life was wild
But that was fifty years ago and nothing's really strange
From a poor dirt farm to dirty streets is really not much change
[Chorus]
And Ace can't read and Ace can't write
And he sleeps on a bench at night
A little man the world has left behind
He ain't bitter, he ain't sweet
He makes his living on the street
Never knowing what he's gonna find
[Verse 3]
Go back to the country, no, he really can't do that
Wasted years have left him nothing but an old straw hat
So he puts it on his head and waves a last goodbye
No time left to turn around and no time to ask why
[Chorus]
Ace can't read and Ace can't write
And he sleeps on a bench at night
A little man the world has left behind
He ain't bitter, he ain't sweet
He makes his living on the street
Never knowing what he's gonna find
[Outro]
And this old world has left poor Ace behind