The four-time Grammy winner has acted in a number of films and been a guest-star on television. Lovett was married to actress Julia Roberts for a short time in the mid-1990s. In 2002, he was gored by a bull while working on his uncle's farm in Texas, but soon recovered and resumed touring.
Empty Blue Shoes
Lyle Lovett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And empty brown bottles
It's the VW blues
Bare feet to the floor
You just might die
when you make colorado
and the plaines lie behind you
And your mother won't hold
you forever
And forever won't hold you for long
And that girl with the face of
an angel
SHe's the girl with the face that's
long gone
Now those empty blue shoes
They sit by the highway
And those VW blues
They saw 'em pulling away
You know she kissed me goodbye
The last time I saw her
But what she intended
she never would say
And you lover won't hold you
forever
And forever won't hold you for long
And that girl with the face of
An angel
She's the girl with the face that's
Long gone
The lyrics to Lyle Lovett's "Empty Blue Shoes" capture a sense of longing and melancholy as the singer reflects on lost relationships and missed opportunities. The image of empty shoes and bottles suggests a feeling of emptiness and absence, as if something important has been left behind. The mention of Colorado and Texas, two locations that were significant in the singer's past, add to the sense of nostalgia and yearning.
As the singer contemplates the impermanence of love and human connection, he seems to acknowledge the fleeting nature of life itself. The line "forever won't hold you for long" speaks to the brevity and fragility of our existence. The girl with the face of an angel, who remains elusive and distant in the singer's memory, represents a lost love that can never be fully regained.
Overall, "Empty Blue Shoes" is a poignant and introspective song that invites listeners to reflect on their own lives and relationships. Through its spare, evocative lyrics and plaintive melody, the song captures a sense of loss and heartbreak that is both universal and deeply personal.
Line by Line Meaning
Empty blue shoes
The singer's shoes are empty, symbolizing the emptiness in his life
And empty brown bottles
Empty bottles are scattered around, indicating the singer's drinking habits
It's the VW blues
The singer feels down while driving in his VW car
Bare feet to the floor
The artist is driving without shoes on, highlighting his carelessness
You just might die
Driving through Colorado can be dangerous, and the artist acknowledges this fact
when you make colorado
The singer is on his way to Colorado
and the plaines lie behind you
The singer has left behind the open plains
Sweet Texas behind you
The artist is leaving Texas, which is emotionally significant to him
And your mother won't hold
The artist realizes that his time with his mother is limited
you forever
No one can be held forever
And forever won't hold you for long
Even if something feels like forever, it won't last forever
And that girl with the face of
The artist remembers a girl's face, which haunts him
an angel
The girl is described like an angel, indicating her purity and goodness
She's the girl with the face that's
The girl is gone, leaving behind only her memory
long gone
The girl is no longer in the singer's life, and he cannot get her back
Now those empty blue shoes
The artist's empty shoes are still there, emphasizing his emptiness
They sit by the highway
The shoes are left on the side of the road, abandoned and forgotten
And those VW blues
The singer is still feeling down while driving his VW car
They saw 'em pulling away
The car saw something (or someone) leaving, indicating the singer's sadness
You know she kissed me goodbye
The artist received a goodbye kiss from a girl
The last time I saw her
The artist knows that he won't see the girl again
But what she intended
The artist doesn't know the girl's true intentions
she never would say
The girl never told the singer what she truly felt or intended to do
And you lover won't hold you
The artist's lover won't always be there for him
forever
Nothing lasts forever
And forever won't hold you for long
Even if something feels like forever, it won't last forever
She's the girl with the face of
The singer remembers the girl's face
An angel
The girl is described like an angel, indicating her purity and goodness
She's the girl with the face that's
The girl is gone, leaving behind only her memory
Long gone
The girl is no longer in the singer's life, and he cannot get her back
Contributed by Ruby S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.