Hole In My Shoe
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I looked to the sky
Where an elephant's eye
Was looking at me
From a bubblegum tree
And all that I knew
The hole in my shoe
Was letting in water (letting in water)
I walked through a field
That just wasn't real
Where a hundred tin soldiers
Would shoot at my shoulder
And all that I knew
The hole in my shoe
Was letting in water (letting in water)

(I climbed on the back of a giant albatross
Which flew through a crack in the cloud
To a place where happiness reigned all year round
Where music played ever so loudly)

I started to fall
And suddenly woke
And the dew on the grass
It stuck to my coat
And all that I knew




The hole in my shoe
Was letting in water (letting in water)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Traffic's song "Hole in My Shoe" are a perfect example of the psychedelic genre that was popular in the 1960s. The song gives us a glimpse into the surreal and dreamlike experience that the singer is having as they journey through a world that appears to be full of strange and wonderful things, all the while feeling a sense of unease due to water leaking into their shoe.


The opening lyrics set the tone for the whole song, as the singer looks up and sees an elephant's eye staring back at them from a bubblegum tree. This image is nonsensical and absurd, but it fits perfectly with the psychedelic experience of the music. The idea of an elephant looking down on us is both intriguing and terrifying, suggesting that we are small and insignificant compared to the vastness of the world around us.


The second verse takes us further into the singer's dream world, where they encounter a field that "just wasn't real." In this field, a hundred tin soldiers shoot at their shoulder, adding to the feeling of unease that was established in the first verse. This scene is reminiscent of childhood toys and games, but it has a sinister undertone that suggests that not all is as it seems.


The final verse brings us back to reality, as the singer wakes up to find himself lying on the grass, covered in dew. The experience of falling and waking up seems to suggest that the dream was a fleeting one, and that reality has once again taken over. However, the "hole in my shoe" is a reminder that even in the real world, things are not always as they seem, and that we are all vulnerable to the elements and the unexpected.


Overall, "Hole in My Shoe" is a fascinating journey into the mind of a person experiencing a psychedelic dream. Its surreal lyrics and catchy tune make it a classic of the psychedelic rock genre, and it continues to be popular with listeners today.


Line by Line Meaning

I looked to the sky
I gazed at the heavens


Where an elephant's eye
and saw an eye of an elephant


Was looking at me
focused its gaze on me


From a bubblegum tree
that was on a tree of bubblegum


And all that I knew
I only realized


The hole in my shoe
that there was a hole in my shoe


Was letting in water (letting in water)
and that water was coming in through the hole


I walked through a field
I strolled across a meadow


That just wasn't real
which seemed surreal


Where a hundred tin soldiers
where there were one hundred toy soldiers


Would shoot at my shoulder
and they aimed towards my shoulder


And all that I knew
I realized


The hole in my shoe
that the hole in my shoe was


Was letting in water (letting in water)
allowing water to pour in (allowing water to bisect the shoe)


I climbed on the back of a giant albatross
I ascended on a colossal bird called an albatross


Which flew through a crack in the cloud
that soared through a break in the clouds


To a place where happiness reigned all year round
to a kingdom that joy was present every day in every season


Where music played ever so loudly
where music was played at a deafening volume


I started to fall
I began to free-fall


And suddenly woke
and then abruptly awakened


And the dew on the grass
the water droplets resting on the grass


It stuck to my coat
clung to my coat


And all that I knew
I realized


The hole in my shoe
that the gap in my shoe was


Was letting in water (letting in water)
permeating water into my shoe (filtrated rainwater through my soles)




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVE MASON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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