Sunday, June 12, 2016
Walk a Mile in My Shoes
Another great song by Elvis is "Walk a Mile in My Shoes," by Joe South. In the link I provided, he opens it by quoting Hank Williams's "Men With Broken Hearts," another great song by another great artist. "Walk a Mile..." calls for compassion for someone who is being judged by a closed minded person, and asks the listener to "walk a mile in my shoes." Written in 1969 among many societal tensions, the song delicately and tactfully deals with racial issues. Race is never explicitly brought up, only that "there are people on reservations and out in the ghetto." This vagueness gives the song a broader reach without offending the judgmental person it addresses. It can be applicable to anyone who feels judged unfairly, no matter what the reason. I do find it to be a little one-sided, as the singer does not offer to do the same. It sort seem a little egocentric and self-centered. But it is still a great song, and it makes it point quite well, nonetheless. Enjoy!
video credit: SoundAndArt2010
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ReplyDeleteHello Patrick!
ReplyDeleteI have to be honest and say that I have never given Elvis' lyrics much credit to being politically riveting, but I absolutely appreciate your take on "Walk a Mile in My Shoes". It is a message that carries its own weight, regardless of the year or societal events taking place. Perhaps the vagueness of the lyrics is a positive quality in that it allows different walks of life to take their own message from it, granting a broader application to multiple issues. I do agree that the rather upbeat tempo of the song, and Elvis' flashy wardrobe take some of the seriousness away that compassion often demands. "If we could find a way to get inside each other's minds..." are lyrics that would be incredibly useful in order to reach a state of understanding, especially in light of recent events that took place in Orlando the other morning. When devastating events take place, I think a commonality in everyone's mind is that no one understands why an individual would choose hate over love. Perhaps being able to get inside our neighbor's minds would allow us, and hopefully "them" to choose the higher ground. Great job!
*original post deleted due to edits
Thank you! Lol, his wardrobe doesn't add a sense of gravity to the song! He was definitely a performer first and an activist second. I do think his performance style and "American" audience gave him the opportunity to reach some people with a message that they might not have been receptive to from another source, i.e., from civil rights activists of the time.
DeleteI think it is always hard to understand what goes on in someone's mind who we disagree with, especially in events like the Orlando shootings. Someone must be in a very dark place to be able to commit such acts, even if they are mentally unstable. It is sad people find themselves in such places.