Music Friday: Paul Simon Sings About a Girl With 'Diamonds on the Soles of Her S
Published: Aug 5, 2022
Author:
LMJ Blog Team
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fabulous songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, rock legend Paul Simon tells the story of an unlikely romance between a poor boy and a rich girl in New York City. Simon says the boy is as "empty as a pocket" and she's got "diamonds on the soles of her shoes."
The meaning behind the gem-embellished footwear has been hotly debated since Simon first performed "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" on Saturday Night Live in 1986. Do the diamonds simply symbolize conspicuous consumption or is there something much deeper that the singer-songwriter wanted to convey?
Simon sings, "People say she’s crazy / She’s got diamonds on the soles of her shoes / Well, that’s one way to lose these / Walking blues / Diamonds on the soles of her shoes."
Some critics see the girl in Simon's story as an unlikeable character who is so rich she can afford to set diamonds into the bottoms of her shoes. Others believe she is metaphorically hiding her wealth.
But, perhaps Simon has created an enchanting character who sees the best in everything. One contributor to songmeanings.com compared wearing diamonds on the soles of one's shoes to looking at the world through rose-colored glasses.
"Everywhere you go, your interaction is done through the diamonds on your shoes," he wrote, "and diamonds as a symbol of wealth, happiness and love mean you are interacting with your world through a constant 'happy' filter, you have a skip to your step, you are happy."
The same writer believes the poor boy may have not been poor in the literal sense of the word. He wears ordinary shoes, which may mean he's just poor in spirit.
After a night of dancing, the couple falls asleep in a doorway on Upper Broadway in Manhattan. At that point, the lyrics change. They're now wearing diamonds on the soles of "their" shoes. The poor boy has finally discovered love and true happiness.
"Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes," which features guest vocals by a South African group called Ladysmith Black Mambazo, was released as the fifth track on Simon's wildly successful Graceland album. Frequently cited as one of the best albums of all time, Graceland sold more than 14 million copies and won the 1987 Grammy for Album of the Year.
Born in Newark, NJ, and raised in Queens, NY, the 80-year-old Simon is one of the world's most accomplished singer/songwriters. He’s won 12 Grammy Awards and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice (once as a solo artist and the other time as half of Simon & Garfunkel). He also was named by Time Magazine as one of the “100 People Who Shaped the World.”
Trivia: The brainy Simon attended Brooklyn Law School for one semester in 1963.
Please check out the video of Simon's live performance of "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" at The African Concert in 1987. The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along…
"Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" Written by Paul Simon and Joseph Shabalala. Performed by Paul Simon with Ladysmith Black Mambazo singing group.
(a-wa) O kod wa u zo-nge li-sa namhlange (a-wa a-wa) Si-bona kwenze ka kanjani (a-wa a-wa) Amanto mbazane ayeza
She’s a rich girl She don’t try to hide it Diamonds on the soles of her shoes
He’s a poor boy Empty as a pocket Empty as a pocket with nothing to lose Sing, Ta na na Ta na na na She got diamonds on the soles of her shoes Ta na na Ta na na na She got diamonds on the soles of her shoes Diamonds on the soles of her shoes Diamonds on the soles of her shoes Diamonds on the soles of her shoes Diamonds on the soles of her shoes People say she’s crazy She’s got diamonds on the soles of her shoes Well, that’s one way to lose these Walking blues Diamonds on the soles of her shoes
She was physically forgotten Then she slipped into my pocket With my car keys She said, “You’ve taken me for granted Because I please you Wearing these diamonds”
And I could say, Oo oo oo As if everybody knows What I’m talking about As if everybody here would know What I was talking about Talking about diamonds on the soles of her shoes
She makes the sign of a teaspoon He makes the sign of a wave The poor boy changes clothes And puts on aftershave 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 Wearing diamonds on the soles of their shoes
And I could say Oo oo oo And everybody here would know What I was talking about I mean, everybody here would know exactly What I was talking about Talking about diamonds
People say I’m crazy I got diamonds on the soles of my shoes Well, that’s one way to lose These walking blues Diamonds on the soles of your shoes