Though hailing from England, Mark Foggo has spent most of his life based in… Read Full Bio ↴Though hailing from England, Mark Foggo has spent most of his life based in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. He makes fast, loud, high energy feel-good music and is one of the planet's best known names in SKA music. The fast, catchy songs and electrifying performance are well known by audiences worldwide.

Mark Foggo started his career at 14 years old by playing around the London pub circuit, supporting himself with live pub gigs and the occasional solo performance. Nothing could break his determination to succeed in music, often taking odd jobs when the money ran out.

Mark wrote and recorded his first single New Shoes and when it grabbed the attention of Polydor Records, they offered him a contract . Through Polydor he released his first full-length album Speeding My Life Away. It was an album full of energetic, high powered, mindbending songs that demonstrated his inventive songwriting skills and musicianship. Mark followed this up with the album, Ska Pig which was released by Link Records UK. MTV has called it a ‘classic and milestone’ in the genre.

Since then, Mark Foggo has released a number of excellent CDs ,EPs and Singles on indie label Skanky'Lil Records and and over the years his songs have appeared on over a hundred compilation CDs worldwide.

New Shoes
Mark Foggo's Skasters Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I feel the rain getting to my feet
I like my clothes nice and neat
Hat down over my eyes
I feel the temperature starting to rise
I got my new shoes
I got them today

I cut my hair in a special way

I never worry what the dudes might say

I've gotta be seen when I'm out in the street Let them see what I've got
On my feet

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "New Shoes" by Mark Foggo's Skasters are an ode to feeling confident and stylish. The singer of the song is describing their appearance, starting with their shoes which are new and represent an important part of their fashion sense. They mention that they like to keep their clothes neat, which further emphasizes the importance of maintaining a certain image. The singer then mentions that they have cut their hair in a special way and that they are not concerned about other people's opinions. Ultimately, they want to be seen and admired for their style and self-expression.

The line "I feel the rain getting to my feet" could be interpreted in different ways. It could mean that the singer is concerned that the rain will ruin their new shoes, and they want to protect them. Alternatively, it could be a metaphorical way of saying that the difficulties or challenges they face do not affect their self-confidence. The lyric "I never worry what the dudes might say" suggests that the singer does not care about conforming to societal expectations, and they are comfortable expressing themselves in a way that feels authentic to them.

Line by Line Meaning

I feel the rain getting to my feet
I am aware that my feet are getting wet from the rain

I like my clothes nice and neat
I take pride in keeping my clothes clean and tidy

Hat down over my eyes
I am wearing my hat in a way that covers my eyes

I feel the temperature starting to rise
I am aware that the temperature is increasing

I got my new shoes
I recently acquired a new pair of shoes

I got them today
I obtained these new shoes on this particular day

I cut my hair in a special way
I deliberately styled my hair in a unique manner

I never worry what the dudes might say
I do not concern myself with the opinions of others

I've gotta be seen when I'm out in the street
It is important to me that people notice me when I am in public

Let them see what I've got
I want others to admire the shoes I am wearing

Writer(s): Matt Benbrook, Paolo Giovanni Nutini, Jim Duguid

Contributed by Jake V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.