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After I died, and the makeup had dried
I went back to my place
No moon that night
But a heavenly light shone on my face
Still I thought it was odd
There was no sign of God just to usher me in
Then a voice from above
Sugar coated with love, said, "Let us begin"
You got to fill out a form first
And then you wait in the line
You got to fill out a form first
And then you wait in the line
Okay, a new kid in school
Got to follow the rule
You got to learn the routine
Woah, there's a girl over there
With the sunshiny hair, like a homecomin' queen
I said, "Hey, what you say?
It's a glorious day,
By the way how long you been dead?"
Maybe you, maybe me
Maybe baby makes three
But she just shook her head
You got to fill out a form first
And then you wait in the line
You got to fill out a form first
And then you wait in the line
Buddah and Moses and all the noses from narrow to flat
Had to stand in the line
Just to glimpse the divine
What you think about that?
Well it seems like our fate to suffer
And wait for the knowledge we seek
It's all his design, no one cuts in the line
No one here, likes a sneak
You got to fill out a form first
And then you wait in the line
You got to fill out a form first
And then you wait in the line
After you climb, up the ladder of time
The Lord God is here
Face to face, in the vastness of space
Your words disappear
And you feel like swimming in an ocean of love,
And the current is strong
But all that remains when you
Try to explain is a fragment of song
Lord is it, be bop a lu la
Or ooh poppa do
Lord, be bop a lu la or ooh poppa do
Be bop a lu la
I went back to my place
No moon that night
But a heavenly light shone on my face
Still I thought it was odd
There was no sign of God just to usher me in
Then a voice from above
Sugar coated with love, said, "Let us begin"
You got to fill out a form first
And then you wait in the line
You got to fill out a form first
And then you wait in the line
Okay, a new kid in school
Got to follow the rule
You got to learn the routine
Woah, there's a girl over there
With the sunshiny hair, like a homecomin' queen
I said, "Hey, what you say?
It's a glorious day,
By the way how long you been dead?"
Maybe you, maybe me
Maybe baby makes three
But she just shook her head
You got to fill out a form first
And then you wait in the line
You got to fill out a form first
And then you wait in the line
Buddah and Moses and all the noses from narrow to flat
Had to stand in the line
Just to glimpse the divine
What you think about that?
Well it seems like our fate to suffer
And wait for the knowledge we seek
It's all his design, no one cuts in the line
No one here, likes a sneak
You got to fill out a form first
And then you wait in the line
You got to fill out a form first
And then you wait in the line
After you climb, up the ladder of time
The Lord God is here
Face to face, in the vastness of space
Your words disappear
And you feel like swimming in an ocean of love,
And the current is strong
But all that remains when you
Try to explain is a fragment of song
Lord is it, be bop a lu la
Or ooh poppa do
Lord, be bop a lu la or ooh poppa do
Be bop a lu la
Lyrics submitted by dank, edited by Heofpeanut
Track duration: 05:49
"Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" as written by Paul Simon, Joseph Shabalala, Dp,
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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1) For our foreign friends, the title is just an expression meaning the girl is "filthy rich" - not any more complicated than that - though obviously chosen for its 'loaded connotation' in the South African context. The song's about a guy trying to make sense of a relationship he's in with a girl who's supposedly above his station. Whether that is Paul's take on his relationship with Carrie Fisher is possible, but unlikely as he already covered that ground pretty thoroughly on Hearts and Bones (see "one and one half wandering Jews...").
2) You heard it here first: "She makes the sign of a teaspoon, she makes the sign of a wave" means the following "She: want some coke before we go out? He: no, thanks." The "sign of the teaspoon" is up near the nose, and the "wave" is a hand signifying "no". That's all, my friends. Now, apparently, She and He did some anyway as they seem to have wound up crashing in a doorway in Upper Manhattan. Fun night on the town with a rich girl. And by the end, He has those diamonds on the soles of his shoes, instead of those "ordinary shoes" he started with. Make of that what you will.
the song it's obviously about rich and poor
it may contain some implicit reference to drugs
it actually can have some "common saying" regarding South Africa...
I like very much the female interpretation of WaterRush..
it could speak abot richness, Africa, feelings, humanity, etc etc...
but WTF make you, bzviguy, think that he's gay???!!?!?!?!?
If he is gay, they will sleep together in a doorway?? he will compensate for his ordinary shoes? at the end the "shoes" are "our" so they are together...
maybe he loves the diamonds more than her, but I don't think he is gay!
Don't misunderstand me, no problem at all if he is gay,but please don't say things that you can't demonstrate!!!
"But save yourself young man today
We will see how things turn out
The ladies are coming"
And as time goes by and he continues to hang around her, her optimism and hopefulness starts to rub off on him. Now people think he is as crazy and clueless as she is. On the other hand, she starts to see reality a little more clearly.
So it speaks of this juxtaposition of a rich man who takes her for granted versus a poor man who is not in her life.
This rich woman lives in luxury. Her partner takes her for granted because they are both enmeshed in wealthy lifestyle if you will (slipped into my pocket with car keys). The poor boy makes the sign of a wave (like commenter said he's poor calls for poorer transportation) and yes they are headed in different directions. The part where she says she wants to go dancing but ends up on a doorway means that her partner didn't take her dancing but is still taking her for granted but instead mingled by a winery. The poor boy changes clothes and puts on after shave to compensate for his ordinary shoes may mean he is trying to climb the ladder and impress those around him by pampering up. Then when he says "people say I'm crazy, I've got diamonds on the soles of my shoes" maybe it means that he is taking the place of the poor boy and he is now rich.." I feel like its say the former poor boy is going to come around for this rich girl whose partner is taking her for granted. Its like they'll meet sometime. Just my new interpretation after re-looking at it.
It is what it is people. If there are other issues mixed in, so be it. Life is complex; but Simon is a lyrical master. Not many today can hold a candle to him.
Second, um, I can't believe people missed the reference to drugs. Sure more than one meaning probably is intentionally applied here, as often is poetically or lyrically true. But clearly she is rich, he can her score. She makes the sign of the teaspoon; he makes the sign of the wave. . .
"She makes the sign of a teaspoon
He makes the sign of a wave
The poor boy changes clothes
And puts on after-shave
To compensate for his ordinary shoes
And she said honey take me dancing
But ***they ended up by sleeping
In a doorway***
***By the bodegas and the lights on
Upper Broadway***
They're out after hitting it up--near the "local pharmacy," tongue in cheek.
Come on kiddies. This is basic.
Wearing diamonds on the soles of their shoes
And I could say Oo oo oo
As if everybody here would know
What I was talking about
I mean everybody here would know exactly
What I was talking about
Talking about diamonds "