I took my lucky break and I broke it in two,
Put on my worried shoes, my worried shoes,

Took me so many miles and they never wore out,
My worried shoes, my worried shoes,

Oo-o-o-oo o-oo-ooo, my worried shoes,

I made a mistake that I never forgot,
Tied knots in the laces of my worried shoes,

Every step that I take is another mistake,
I march further and further away in my worried shoes,

Oo-o-o-oo o-oo-ooo, oo-o-o-oo o-oo-ooo, my worried shoes,

My shoes took me down a crooked path,
Away from all welcome mats,
My worried shoes,

I looked all around and saw the sun shining down,
Took off my worried shoes, my worried shoes,

Oo-o-o-oo o-oo-ooo, oo-o-o-oo o-oo-ooo, oo-o-o-oo o-oo-ooo,
My worried shoes,

Overall Meaning

The song "Worried Shoes" by Karen O and the Kids is a melancholic reflection on the consequences of an unfortunate experience. The story of the song is about the singer taking a lucky break but eventually breaking it in two, leading to several miles of wearing his "worried shoes." The shoes keep reminding him of his mistake, and every step he takes feels like another error. The knots in the laces symbolize the regret that he can't undo.

The crooked path hinted at in the lyrics may refer to the fact that the decisions he made after breaking his lucky break steered him away from the path of happiness and success. He found himself far away from acceptance, and his worried shoes carried him there. However, in the end, he can finally see the sun shining down and decides to take off his worried shoes, perhaps indicating a desire to let go of his worries and move on from his past mistake.

Line by Line Meaning

I took my lucky break and I broke it in two,
I had an opportunity that could have changed my life, but I ruined it.

Put on my worried shoes, my worried shoes,
I'm now wearing shoes that represent my worries and fears.

Took me so many miles and they never wore out,
My worries have been with me for a long time and have never gone away.

Oo-o-o-oo o-oo-ooo, my worried shoes,
This is a repetitive chorus that emphasizes the importance of the worried shoes.

I made a mistake that I never forgot,
I did something wrong that I can't seem to get out of my mind.

Tied knots in the laces of my worried shoes,
I'm so anxious that I've actually tied the laces of my shoes in knots.

Every step that I take is another mistake,
I feel like I'm making more and more mistakes with every action I take.

I march further and further away in my worried shoes,
My worries are leading me down a path that takes me further away from where I want to be in life.

My shoes took me down a crooked path,
My anxieties have led me towards a difficult and complicated path in life.

Away from all welcome mats,
I feel like I'm not welcome anywhere because of my worries.

I looked all around and saw the sun shining down,
I realized that there is beauty and happiness in the world despite my worries.

Took off my worried shoes, my worried shoes,
I finally let go of my fears and anxieties and moved on with my life.

Oo-o-o-oo o-oo-ooo, oo-o-o-oo o-oo-ooo, oo-o-o-oo o-oo-ooo,
This is another repetitive chorus that represents the relief and freedom that comes with letting go of worries.

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