By DJ Bear
Footwear has been a fixture on the music landscape since recorded music first reached the mass market in the 1920s with jazz tunes like “Shine On Your Shoes”. And when big band swing took over the mainstreams you had numbers like, Take Your Shoes, Off Baby by Artie Shaw’s Orchestra and Cleo Brown’s Breakin' in a New Pair of Shoes, both from the mid-30s, representing happiness, positivity, and the fruits of a good life. And then there’s the blues – no stranger to to shoes, either with early sad tales of sad love like Memphis Slim’s Last Pair Of Shoes.
Most often though, shoes in music became metaphor of a road travelled, a life you’re leaving behind, or the long mile you need walk to understand your fellow man. But each genre seems to have its stable of worn-out footwear themes. Cowboy boots are made for walkin’ – over, on, or away in a country song. High heels seem designed for strutting through a good pop or hip-hop kiss off. Sandals are for the yacht rock beach bums or maybe a carefree Jesus. Punk sees footwear as either part of the establishment to take down or a piece of armour to fight it. And in my life shoes have largely been something I use to dance and work out my emotions on a floor (at home or at a club); freestyling to the energy of top 40, two-steppin’, hustilin, waltzin’, cha-cha-chaing, and on and on…
I have included a handy audio mix I put together of my A-list songs for your ears to enjoy below! But before we begin, the award for best song title goes to… The Shoes of the Fisherman’s Wife Are Some Jive-Ass Slippers by Charles Mingus. Now tie your laces and, let’s get to it!
In the tradition of the earliest of shoe songs, I think it is only right to start with a brand new pair and a “Life’s great” spirit compliments of Eric Bibb and his New Shoes. If you want a nice bit of if two-fer action here play this one back to back with, New Shoes by Paolo Nutini. If your mood doesn’t flip you might want to see a doctor.
Then we get in a few funked-up footwear floor stompers. I love using platforms (pun intended) like this to shout-out acts (especially female acts) I LOVE who are lost to history or fall under the radar. And Betty Davis was overshadowed by husband Miles and is almost completely forgotten today, but she is equally relevant in her own lane of funk/rock. Ms. Davis never messes around and this and Steppin’ in her I Miller Shoes she becomes a grade-A glam rocker.
Then there is what I lovingly call on my show, “super hit six” or “the sweet sixth spot”, that classic earworm just about everyone knows, a song that works the room up into a dance frenzy and likely a sing-a-long. And there was no way a “Dancing Shoes” song was not making this list. This song title gets around so much it could get it’s own A-list. Here Arctic Monkeys get taken to 11 (if they weren’t already there) with the help from the members of the famed Buena Vista Social Club (known here as Rhythms del Mundo). They turn a great punk pogo popper into merengue fever. I’ve put this version on at clubs on occasion and the floor gets REAL rowdy. And it contains one of my favourite lyrical phrases ever: “Get on your dancing shoes, you sexy little swine”! And if you are going out dancing the Cramp, follow up this tune with a checklist of everything you’ll need for that night out.
There was a number of skankin’ suggestions but Blue Boots had THE groove and some interesting history. In Jamaican patwah the word boot can be slang that refers to a condom. Not sure what exactly the boot refers to here though but it is a crackin’ groove. And as legend tells it, Donaldson entered this song in the Jamaican festival song contest in 1972 as as a follow-up to his winning 1971 hit Cherry Oh Baby, but Toots and the Maytals found out and intimidated him, forcing him to withdraw. Thus, paving the way for their win with, Pomps and Pride. Supposedly when the song was released after the contest everyone wondered why it was not entered because as I said it has a crackin’ groove.
In the tasteful 10 spot we find Summer’s Here with James Taylor who brought out the rubber sandals well before Crocs took over the Costco footwear division. And with straw hats, beer, and a chance of rain it sounds like he and Rupert Holmes go on vacation in the same place. So if you like, “getting caught in the rain” you may just want to join Taylor because with sounds like this, summer’s here year round.
And as we near the end of the A-list we have a brand name drop bonanza with real boom for the buck! Ms. Pickler declares she’s going to go out with a bang, her ashes being dusted over a myriad of well known shoe brands. Sprinkled over shoes may not be where you want your body laid to rest but Hkellie’s message is clear: “You only come ‘round once so why not get everything you want.”
And lastly from “Reeboks with the straps” to “My Adidas” to “Louboutins” and “Vans”, a whole set could done about brand name shoes so I had to get at least ONE in here. And when “Jimmy Choos” comes up TWICE as a song title for two totally different songs (hello Riki Lee Lee Jones) my nerdy music mind gets a real tingle of glee. Now, I’m not saying Lucinda is better than Riki here (Riki was not nominated so I couldn’t pick her anyway) but I’m a sucker for both a harp and a 3/4 … Also, I like to end my sets with a mellower song as a kind of parting party favour for hanging out with me. And this shoe fits.
The Fifth Avenue A-List Playlist:
New Shoes – Eric Bibb
Just Walk In My Shoes – Gladys Knight and the Pips
Funky Sneakers – Willie Bobo
Steppin’ In Her I Miller Shoes – Betty Davis
Stacks, Stilettos, Make-up, and Mohicans – Mere Dead Men
Dancing Shoes – Rhythms Del Mundo feat. Arctic Monkeys
Dames, Booze, Chains, and Boots – The Cramps
Baby, Stick Around – Joe Jackson
Blue Boots – Eric Donaldson
Summer’s Here – James Taylor
Going Out In Style – Kellie Pickler
Jimmy Choos – Lucinda Belle Orchestra
Or if you don’t have time to watch the videos, here’s the Mixcloud version:
Bargain Basement Boots B-list Playlist:
There was one possible idea request that for the B-list I attempt one of my A to Z song-title sets. Now, I must be clear that just because a song title fit s a letter doesn’t mean I’m gonna use it simply to fill the letter. I have to like the song (usually 3 out 5 stars or more). So with all the great suggestions we certainly got close to a complete alphabet, only 3 empty slots; K, U, and X:
All Purpose Action Footwear – !Action Pact!
Breakin’ In A New Pair Of Shoes – Cleo Brown
Crow In Heels – Gretschen Hofner
Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes – Paul Simon
Eleanor, Put Your Boots On – Franz Ferdinand
Fuck Me Pumps – Amy Winehouse
Go-Go Boots – Drive-By Truckers
How I Learned To Love The Bootboys – The Auteurs
In These Shoes – Kirsty MacColl
Jackboot Democrats – Leon Rosselson
Las Puntas de Mis Viejas Botas – Manolo García
My Adidas – Run DMC
My Docs – Kiss AMC
New Shoes – Paolo Nutini
One Shoe Blues – Sandra Boynton
Pointed Toe Shoes – Carl Perkins
Quality Shoe – Mark Knopfler
Red High Heels – Jane Siberry
Snake Skin Shoes – The Black Sorrows
Trimm Trab - Blur
Venus In Bother Boots – The Nipple Erectors
Walkin’ Shoes – Gerry Mulligan Quartet
You Can Put Your Shoes Under My Bed – Paul Kelly
Zapatos Gastados – Reina Republicana
Guru’s Wildcard Picks:
I chose one for my queer side and one for my country side:
Bronski Beat & Eartha Kitt – Cha Cha Heels
Bronski Beat teamed up with former Catwoman, Earth Kitt, to help her growl her way through this absolute late-80s anthem.
Whitney Rose – My Boots
As I said up top many songs using shoes as an image lean toward the “road traveled “, “walk a mile”, or “walking out” themes. But Canadian singer-songwriter Whitney Rose brings funk to country in true Jerry Reed fashion with a groove about, “What you see is what you get”. It starts out as genuine two-step toe-tapper material but builds to a raucous country rave up by the end.
DJ Bear, posting as PopOff! at Song Bar, has a themed radio show of that name here.
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations from last week's topic: Sole power: songs about footwear. The next topic will launch on Thursday at 1pm UK time.
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