Blue Suede Shoes
The Dave Clark Five Lyrics


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Well, it's one for the money,
Two for the show,
Three to get ready,
Now go, cat, go.

But don't you step on my blue suede shoes.
You can do anything but lay off of my Blue suede shoes.
Well, you can knock me down,
Step in my face,
Slander my name
All over the place.

Do anything that you want to do, but uh-uh,
Honey, lay off of my shoes
Don't you step on my Blue suede shoes.
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes.

You can burn my house,
Steal my car,
Drink my liquor
From an old fruitjar.

Do anything that you want to do, but uh-uh,
Honey, lay off of my shoes




Don't you step on my blue suede shoes.
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes.

Overall Meaning

The Dave Clark Five's song "Blue Suede Shoes" is a catchy tune that explores the theme of possession and territoriality. The lyrics suggest that the singer has something that he prizes dearly - his blue suede shoes - and he doesn't want anyone to step on or touch them. The song starts with the famous line, "Well, it's one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, now go, cat, go." This line is a reference to the three-count rhythm used by Elvis Presley, who popularized the song in the 1950s. The singer warns that anyone can do whatever they want, but they shouldn't step on his blue suede shoes, as they are his prized possession.


The lyrics go on to suggest that the singer is willing to endure all sorts of abuse, but he won't tolerate someone touching his shoes. The line "you can knock me down, step in my face, slander my name all over the place" suggests that the singer is willing to be humiliated, but he won't stand for anyone to mess with his shoes. The lyrics also suggest that the singer is willing to offer his hospitality, allowing someone to drink his liquor, for example, as long as they don't touch his shoes.


Overall, "Blue Suede Shoes" is a fun, upbeat song that explores the theme of possession and the lengths to which someone will go to protect what they consider their prized possession.


Line by Line Meaning

Well, it's one for the money,
The singer knows that he needs to work hard to earn a living.


Two for the show,
The singer is willing to give his best performance.


Three to get ready,
The singer is preparing himself to start performing.


Now go, cat, go.
The singer is encouraging someone (maybe himself) to go out and do something great.


But don't you step on my blue suede shoes.
The singer has a special attachment to his blue suede shoes, and he does not want anyone to damage or ruin them.


You can do anything but lay off of my Blue suede shoes.
The singer is letting everyone know that they can do whatever they want, except mess with his blue suede shoes.


Well, you can knock me down,
The singer acknowledges that people may knock him down and try to hurt him.


Step in my face,
People may try to humiliate and embarrass the singer.


Slander my name
People may say untrue and damaging things about the singer.


All over the place.
The negative comments may spread everywhere and affect the singer's reputation.


Do anything that you want to do, but uh-uh,
The singer is giving people the freedom to do what they want, but with one exception: they should not mess with his blue suede shoes.


Honey, lay off of my shoes
The singer is politely telling someone to leave his shoes alone.


Don't you step on my Blue suede shoes.
The singer is reiterating that he does not want anyone to damage or ruin his blue suede shoes.


You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes.
Again, the singer is letting everyone know that they can do whatever they want, except mess with his blue suede shoes.




Contributed by Harper L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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