Blackman's recording with The Avengers co-star Patrick Macnee of "Kinky Boots" (1964), referring to the boots she wore in the show, was a surprise hit. In 1990 it resurfaced on the chart, peaking at No. 5 after being played incessantly by BBC Radio 1 breakfast show presenter Simon Mayo. After her appearance in Goldfinger, she recorded a full album of songs titled Everything I've Got.
In 1968 Blackman released a 45 of "Before Today"/"I'll Always Be Loving You", which were featured in the musical play Mr & Mrs. In 1983 she sang as Juno in a special TV production of Jacques Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld.
On 6 July 2009, Blackman released a new single, "The Star Who Fell from Grace", composed by Jeff Chegwin and Adrian Munsey. In it she compared a James Bond prom as part of the "Welsh Proms" concert series.
Kinky Boots
Honor Blackman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(boop, boop)
Kinky boots,
It's a manly kind of fashion that you borrowed from the brutes,
Borrowed from the brutes,
(boop, boop)
Kinky boots.
And you rush to obey like the women in a harem.
Full length, half length,
Fully fashion calf length,
Brown boots, black boots,
Patent leather jackboots,
Low boots, high boots,
Lovely lanky thigh boot,
We all dig those boots.
Everybody's crazy for those kinky boots, kinky boots,
(boop, boop)
Kinky boots,
And whether you're in evening dress or bathing suits,
You wear boots, boots, kinky boots.
There are twenty million women wearing kinky boots, kinky boots,
Puss in boots,
Footwear manufacturers are gathering the fruits,
Gathering the fruits,
(boop, boop)
Kinky boots.
Advertising men say try 'em,
And you all run amok like a flock of sheep to buy 'em.
Sweet girls, street girls,
Grumpy little beat girls,
Square girls, cool girls,
Sexy little schoolgirls,
Maiden aunties,
Mayfair debutantes,
They all dig those boots.
Everybody's rushin' for those Russian boots,
Prussian boots,
(boop, boop)
Kinky boots,
Both: Cover up those slender little tender foots with kinky slinky,
Leather is so kinky,
Come and get those kinky boots, boots, kinky boots.
The lyrics to "Kinky Boots" by Honor Blackman explore the popularity of a particular type of footwear: knee-high, high-heeled boots that were popular in the 1960s. The song celebrates the appeal of these boots, suggesting that they are both fashionable and empowering, and pokes fun at the idea that men are borrowing this style from "the brutes." The song also notes that women of all ages and backgrounds are drawn to these boots, from "maiden aunties" to "sexy little schoolgirls." The repetition of the refrain, "everybody's going for those kinky boots," reinforces the idea that this fashion trend is sweeping and unstoppable.
The lyrics also suggest a certain amount of consumerism and conformity, with fashion magazines and advertising men dictating what people should wear. The imagery of a "flock of sheep" rushing to buy boots at the behest of advertisers underscores this idea. However, the song also implies that wearing these boots is a way to express one's identity and potentially subvert traditional gender roles. By embracing this "manly kind of fashion," women can feel powerful and sexy.
Overall, "Kinky Boots" is a playful, upbeat song that celebrates a particular fashion trend while also poking fun at the consumerism and conformity that underpins it. The song's catchy melody and cheeky lyrics have made it a cult classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody's going for those kinky boots, kinky boots,
Everyone is eager to have and wear these boots
It's a manly kind of fashion that you borrowed from the brutes,
The fashion is inspired by men's fashion and taken from tough guys
Fashion magazines say wear 'em,
Magazines recommends wearing these boots
Full length, half length,
Boots come in various lengths
Fully fashion calf length,
Fashionably designed boots stretching up to calf length
Brown boots, black boots,
Boots come in different colors like black and brown
Patent leather jackboots,
Boots made of patent leather material
Low boots, high boots,
Boots come in different heights
Lovely lanky thigh boot,
Fashionable boots stretching up to thigh length
Everybody's crazy for those kinky boots, kinky boots,
Everyone is mad about these boots
And whether you're in evening dress or bathing suits,
People wear these boots regardless of their dress code
There are twenty million women wearing kinky boots, kinky boots,
Lots of women are wearing these boots
Footwear manufacturers are gathering the fruits,
Manufacturers are benefiting from selling these popular boots
Advertising men say try 'em,
Marketing suggests everyone tries these boots
Sweet girls, street girls,
Girls from different backgrounds love these boots
Grumpy little beat girls,
Even grumpy girls love these boots
Square girls, cool girls,
Girls from all types of social circles wear these boots
Sexy little schoolgirls,
Even schoolgirls think these boots are fashionable
Maiden aunties,
Even mature women like wearing these boots
Mayfair debutantes,
Even classy wealthy people like these boots
Everybody's rushin' for those Russian boots, Prussian boots,
People are hurrying to buy all sorts of boots
Cover up those slender little tender foots with kinky slinky,
The boots are fashionable and covering the feet in a sexy way
Leather is so kinky,
Leather is a kinky material
Come and get those kinky boots, boots, kinky boots.
Go and buy yourself these fashionable boots
Contributed by Ruby B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Danny Howell
Strangely enough this was the first single I ever bought. I was 10. Bizarre, God know what I was thinking of when I bought this. The beginning of my 60s fascination I that continues to this day.
Nigel Searle
"Bizarre" was the title of the last of the 161 episodes of The Avengers.
Kristine James
@Danny Howell..I don't think that is necessarily Bizarre! The very first single that I bought at the age of 11 was Wandering Star ..shock horror ( but that was because I had a kinky boots fetish for Clint Eastwood in his chaps!!) π€£π€£π€£
John Turner
This began as a British satire on a 1963 David Frost show called "That Was The Week That Was". The writers cut together lines from The Avengers to make the lyrics then mixed show footage and found art to make the visual. It was released as a novelty record (with studio vocals by Blackman and Macnee this time) in February 1964 but never got much attention except as a bawdy song that people would play at parties. It became a UK Christmas tradition to play the song, and it got copied onto lots of mixtapes and 50-track party albums over the years in Britain. Once, in 1990, it was released as a CD single and charted for the seven weeks leading up to Christmas. People were buying it as a gag Christmas gift. This Top Of the Pops clip comes from that time.
jrgboy
Kinky Boots lyrics were written by Herbert Krezmer , he says in 10 minutes, took him a bit longer to write Les Mis...
thehellezell
Thanks for the context! As a Yank I was scratching my head as to why this was on TOTP in the 90s.
Roy and Jacqueline
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Gains Bond
That Was The Week That Was, eh - I wonder if it was Millicent Martin who provided the thighs where they sing "...full length, half-length..." then...
Calmsound
The guy that wrote the lyrics was a young journalist at the time, he blagged the gig and had to learn how to write lyrics fast - making a list of every type of boot. He went on to be a very successful lyricist, most notably writing the English language version of Les miserables. His name was Herbert Kretzmer.
jrgboy
He also wrote Goodness Gracious Me & Bangers & Mash for Peter Sellers & Sophia Loren. music was by Dave Lee whose band featured in That Was The Week That Was..