Grandpaboy is an alternative rock group led by Paul Westerberg (born Decemb… Read Full Bio ↴Grandpaboy is an alternative rock group led by Paul Westerberg (born December 31, 1959). Paul Westerberg is an American musician, best known as the former lead singer and songwriter of The Replacements, one of the seminal alternative rock bands of the 1980s. Westerberg is married to former Zuzu's Petals guitarist Laurie Lindeen. They have a son, Johnny, whose voice can be heard on "Whatever Makes You Happy" from Westerberg's solo album Suicaine Gratifaction.

Footsteps
Grandpaboy Lyrics

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They bought me a suit
Gave me fifty dollars
Gone today, I'll be here tomorrow
Need a leap of faith, or a jump of stupid
Either way, don't know what I'm doing

Time, in time
You hear my footsteps

Time, time
Baby, hear my footsteps

Well, it's heads, I win
Tails, we flip again
I bluffed and lost
Hated, so they win
Asking you, smile for the people
Just passing through the eye of a needle

Time, in time
You'll hear my footsteps
Time, time
In time, you'll hear my footsteps

Walk a thousand feet
I'm so afraid to be free

Won't wait for a girl
Honey you're mistaken
Weight of the world,
Leave my shoulders aching
Every night it's gone
Ain't sure what I had
I'm gonna clap for myself
Think with my hands
A leap of faith or a jump of stupid
Either way, don't know what I'm doing
If you follow me around
With a tape recorder
I'm sure you'll get a load of footsteps

Feel my footsteps

Footsteps
Footsteps

Overall Meaning

The song Footsteps by Grandpaboy is a reflective song about navigating through life without a clear sense of direction. The opening lines "They bought me a suit, gave me fifty dollars, gone today, I'll be here tomorrow" illustrate a sense of impermanence and instability, suggesting that the singer is constantly on the move and uncertain about what the future holds. The line "Need a leap of faith, or a jump of stupid, either way, don't know what I'm doing" further emphasizes this point, highlighting the uncertainty that the singer feels.

The chorus, which repeats the phrase "Time, in time, you'll hear my footsteps" emphasizes the idea that the singer is constantly moving forward, but doesn't know where he's going. There's a sense of restlessness here, as if the singer is always on the move, but never quite finding what he's looking for. The line "Walk a thousand feet, I'm so afraid to be free" suggests that the singer is constrained by his own fears and insecurities, unable to take risks or embrace the unknown.

The lines "Won't wait for a girl, honey you're mistaken, weight of the world, leave my shoulders aching" suggest that the singer is in some kind of relationship, but is unwilling to wait around or be held back. However, the weight of the world seems to be a burden on his shoulders, perhaps due to the uncertainty and lack of direction he feels. Ultimately, the song leaves us with a sense of unease, as if the singer is perpetually walking in circles, unsure of where he's going or what he's looking for.

Line by Line Meaning

They bought me a suit
Someone bought a suit for me

Gave me fifty dollars
Received fifty dollars as a gift

Gone today, I'll be here tomorrow
I might disappear for a while, but I'll come back

Need a leap of faith, or a jump of stupid
I have to take a risk even if it seems foolish

Either way, don't know what I'm doing
I'm not completely sure what I'm doing

Time, in time
As time passes

You hear my footsteps
You can tell I'm around by the sound of my steps

Time, time
As time goes by

Baby, hear my footsteps
You'll hear my steps sooner or later

Well, it's heads, I win
I'll win no matter what

Tails, we flip again
If I lose, we can try again