I agree with the first poster, the meaning of this song is totally obvious.
But if you didn't know, it deals with Paulo's terrifying addiction to heroin.
Lines like 'short on money', 'wandering through these streets', and 'I'm seeing stars' describe his desperation due to the affects of heroin withdrawals. Two days of his life go missing while struggling with his detoxification which causes hallucinations of mysterious dancers in his kitchen.
Then when he finally gets his drug fix, like a new pair of shoes, 'suddenly everything's right'. In an instant he goes from drug sickness to 'sweet sunshine'. The heroin is his 'brand new shoes'.
Sorry to explain something so obvious but I totally agreed with the first poster and wanted to let her know how insightful she was.
He wakes up cold, doesn't feel himself (he's a ghost); goes through the motion of life, not knowing he's dead, but then there are these new shoes (like dead people often get for their funerals?). So he's beginning to transition. Next thing we know, it's two days later - often the traditional time between death and funeral. The surprise party with all his friends is his post-funeral wake, celebrating his life. Then, of course, that last piece (bridge, whatever), where there are "bright lights" and "angels", is the final transition...
He wakes up cold, doesn't feel himself (he's a ghost); goes through the motion of life, not knowing he's dead, but then there are these new shoes (like dead people often get for their funerals?). So he's beginning to transition. Next thing we know, it's two days later - often the traditional time between death and funeral. The surprise party with all his friends is his post-funeral wake, celebrating his life. Then, of course, that last piece (bridge, whatever), where there are "bright lights" and "angels", is the final transition into death and the afterlife. Seems pretty obvious. The shoes are just the catalyst or perhaps the driving force propelling him into his new state.
@chinaski2323 definitely the true meaning of this song, even if you don't know Paolo's drug induced past like me... it's pretty clear the new shoes are a metaphor for narcotics.
@chinaski2323 definitely the true meaning of this song, even if you don't know Paolo's drug induced past like me... it's pretty clear the new shoes are a metaphor for narcotics.
@chinaski2323 You may be correct, but it is certainly not "obvious" at least not to someone that didn't know about his history with drugs. I've always interpreted it as being about death, and when he is surprised to see all his friends dancing around and around, that is his interpretation of heaven. Even though I struggle with any kind of organized religion myself, it is a comforting thought for me, especially since this was my Mom's favorite song (RIP). I think the beauty of music is it can mean something to each individual listener based on their life experiences. I...
@chinaski2323 You may be correct, but it is certainly not "obvious" at least not to someone that didn't know about his history with drugs. I've always interpreted it as being about death, and when he is surprised to see all his friends dancing around and around, that is his interpretation of heaven. Even though I struggle with any kind of organized religion myself, it is a comforting thought for me, especially since this was my Mom's favorite song (RIP). I think the beauty of music is it can mean something to each individual listener based on their life experiences. I don't have much knowledge of heroin or that lifestyle, so your observations quite literally never occurred to me. But having lost both parents in the last seven years, the concept of loss and life-after-death definitely did.
I agree with the first poster, the meaning of this song is totally obvious.
But if you didn't know, it deals with Paulo's terrifying addiction to heroin.
Lines like 'short on money', 'wandering through these streets', and 'I'm seeing stars' describe his desperation due to the affects of heroin withdrawals. Two days of his life go missing while struggling with his detoxification which causes hallucinations of mysterious dancers in his kitchen.
Then when he finally gets his drug fix, like a new pair of shoes, 'suddenly everything's right'. In an instant he goes from drug sickness to 'sweet sunshine'. The heroin is his 'brand new shoes'.
Sorry to explain something so obvious but I totally agreed with the first poster and wanted to let her know how insightful she was.
These lyrics make me think he's dead:
These lyrics make me think he's dead:
He wakes up cold, doesn't feel himself (he's a ghost); goes through the motion of life, not knowing he's dead, but then there are these new shoes (like dead people often get for their funerals?). So he's beginning to transition. Next thing we know, it's two days later - often the traditional time between death and funeral. The surprise party with all his friends is his post-funeral wake, celebrating his life. Then, of course, that last piece (bridge, whatever), where there are "bright lights" and "angels", is the final transition...
He wakes up cold, doesn't feel himself (he's a ghost); goes through the motion of life, not knowing he's dead, but then there are these new shoes (like dead people often get for their funerals?). So he's beginning to transition. Next thing we know, it's two days later - often the traditional time between death and funeral. The surprise party with all his friends is his post-funeral wake, celebrating his life. Then, of course, that last piece (bridge, whatever), where there are "bright lights" and "angels", is the final transition into death and the afterlife. Seems pretty obvious. The shoes are just the catalyst or perhaps the driving force propelling him into his new state.
@chinaski2323 definitely the true meaning of this song, even if you don't know Paolo's drug induced past like me... it's pretty clear the new shoes are a metaphor for narcotics.
@chinaski2323 definitely the true meaning of this song, even if you don't know Paolo's drug induced past like me... it's pretty clear the new shoes are a metaphor for narcotics.
@chinaski2323 You may be correct, but it is certainly not "obvious" at least not to someone that didn't know about his history with drugs. I've always interpreted it as being about death, and when he is surprised to see all his friends dancing around and around, that is his interpretation of heaven. Even though I struggle with any kind of organized religion myself, it is a comforting thought for me, especially since this was my Mom's favorite song (RIP). I think the beauty of music is it can mean something to each individual listener based on their life experiences. I...
@chinaski2323 You may be correct, but it is certainly not "obvious" at least not to someone that didn't know about his history with drugs. I've always interpreted it as being about death, and when he is surprised to see all his friends dancing around and around, that is his interpretation of heaven. Even though I struggle with any kind of organized religion myself, it is a comforting thought for me, especially since this was my Mom's favorite song (RIP). I think the beauty of music is it can mean something to each individual listener based on their life experiences. I don't have much knowledge of heroin or that lifestyle, so your observations quite literally never occurred to me. But having lost both parents in the last seven years, the concept of loss and life-after-death definitely did.
@chinaski2323 Totally new to this artist, so I had no clue. Who was the first poster you're referencing?
@chinaski2323 Totally new to this artist, so I had no clue. Who was the first poster you're referencing?