Step Lively: 4 Sensational “Shoes” Songs That You Might Have Forgotten About

Shoes play a huge role in many pop songs. Sometimes, it’s all about the fashion of the footwear that’s the focus of the songwriters. In other cases, those shoes might be symbolically walking away from a relationship.

We’ve located four songs from legendary songwriters with some derivation of the word “shoe” in the title. Let’s take a look at how they, pardon the pun, stepped away from the typical songwriting fare.

“Old Brown Shoe” by The Beatles

“Old Brown Shoe” was one of many George Harrison compositions that were lost in the shuffle of The Beatles’ recording agenda in the late 60s. It was tested during the sessions for Let It Be, although it apparently wasn’t quite polished enough to make it on the album. Later in 1969, the group nailed a take that popped out on the B-side of “The Ballad Of John And Yoko” in 1969. Much like Paul McCartney did with the earlier Beatles song “Hello Goodbye”, Harrison built the lyrics out of a series of opposites. As for the footwear of the title, it represents that staid old life that the narrator is leaving behind to be with his new love: “Now I’m stepping out this old brown shoe.”

“Those Shoes” by Eagles

Eagles famously struggled to get through the recording process for The Long Run, the 1979 album that preceded their long hiatus. But “Those Shoes” is evidence of a band still working together and hitting on all cylinders. Don Felder wrote the music, right down to the vocoder parts that he and Joe Walsh then brought to life in the studio. Don Henley and Glenn Frey wrote the lyrics. Those lyrics caustically assess the singles scene, where lowlife men prey on young women who don’t realize the danger until it’s too late. In this case, the footwear in the title represents a kind of Rubicon moment for the protagonist, a fashion decision that, once made, puts her in the crosshairs.

“Shoes Without Heels” by Elvis Costello

We could have gone the easy route when it came to choosing an Elvis Costello song featuring “shoes” in the title. “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes” is one of the more pop-friendly moments on Costello’s thrilling 1977 debut album My Aim Is True. But we’re digging deeper into his catalog for “Shoes Without Heels”. Costello originally intended to include it on the 1986 album King Of America. But he decided not to include the track on the finished record. It’s too bad, because the country-tinged number is a wonderful combination of rootsy vibes and nimble wordplay. The significance of the titular footwear is that the narrator’s lover is wearing them so that she can sneak away for secret trysts without detection.

“Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes” by Paul Simon

Paul Simon’s excursion to South Africa brought him into contact with many of the marvelous musicians from the country. That included Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the vocal collective who grace this song with their wondrous harmonies and rhythmic sensibilities. In fact, Simon wisely puts them front and center right off the bat by including an a cappella section before the instrumental music kicks into gear. Once it does, Ray Phiri’s playful lead guitar work sets the tone for a chipper track. In that sonically soaring context, it makes sense that the title should refer to something magical. “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes” effortlessly elicits smiles once all those brilliant sounds come together.

Photo by Peter Stubbs/Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix via Getty Images

The post Step Lively: 4 Sensational “Shoes” Songs That You Might Have Forgotten About appeared first on American Songwriter.