Ballad of the Boy in the Red Shoes
Dancing Through Darkness: The Symbolism in Elton John's Red Shoes
Lyrics
I'm stoned in the twilight
I am under the influence of drugs in the evening.
Screaming on the inside
Internally distressed and expressing emotions loudly within.
Give me your water, help me survive
Asking for support or solace, seeking help to survive.
Gonna miss the sunlight
Anticipating the loss of joy or positivity.
When I lose my eyesight
Expecting to lose the ability to see things positively.
Give me my red shoes, I want to dance
Expressing a desire for liberation and the joy of dancing.
They search for an answer
People are looking for answers.
But that old man wouldn't listen
An older person refused to listen to advice in the past.
Back then I was handsome
Describing personal attractiveness in the past.
Back then he was ignorant
Referring to someone else's ignorance in the past.
And shave off the years now, it's all inside my head
Trying to erase or ignore the passage of time, memories are in the mind.
The boy in the red shoes is dancing by my bed
A person wearing red shoes is dancing near the speaker's bed, possibly a memory or symbol.
Put them in a box somewhere, put them in a drawer
Suggesting a desire to put away memories or experiences.
Take my red shoes, I can't wear them anymore
Expressing an inability to wear or bear the burden of the red shoes anymore.
Had garlands in the wings back then
Referring to decorations or honors received in the past.
All the pretty little things back then
Recalling attractive and charming things from the past.
Calling out my name, oh what fame brings
Describing the attention and challenges fame brings.
After curtain calls and bows
After receiving applause and acknowledgment.
I can't see the front row now
Unable to see or appreciate the present admiration.
Hand me my red shoes just one more time
Requesting the return of the red shoes for one last time.
They pushed aside our presence
Feeling ignored or neglected by others.
They refused to go the distance
Others did not go the extra mile or make an effort.
Back then I was Sigmund
Identifying with Sigmund Freud in the past.
Back then he wouldn't listen
Someone did not listen to the speaker's advice in the past.
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