Bob Dylan Said Elvis’ ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ Is About Shoes With ‘the Infinite Power of the Sun’
To many listeners, Elvis Presley‘s “Blue Suede Shoes” is a fun, danceable dose of early rock ‘n’ roll. On the other hand, Bob Dylan took the song’s subject matter extremely seriously. He said blue suede shoes have all the answers. That might not be the case, but Elvis’ “Blue Suede Shoes” has inspired many artists who came after him.
Bob Dylan said the shoes from Elvis Presley’s ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ ‘vibrate with life’
In his 2022 book The Philosophy of Modern Song, the “Lay Lady Lay” singer had a lot to say about “Blue Suede Shoes.” He felt there was something sacred about that type of footwear. “They neither move nor speak, yet they vibrate with life, and contain the infinite power of the sun,” he wrote. Dylan may have been alluding to a passage from Psalm 135 that discusses idols being unable to move or speak.
“They’re as good as the day I found them,” he added. “Perhaps you’ve heard of them, blue suede shoes. They’re blue, royal blue. Not low down in the dumps blue, they’re killer blue, like the moon is blue, they’re precious. Don’t try to suffocate their spirit, try to be a saint, try to stay as far away from them as you possibly can.”
Bob Dylan said the footwear in Elvis Presley’s song symbolized ‘church and state’
Dylan felt that blue suede shoes that were superior to other shoes. “These shoes are not like other shifty things that perish or change or transform themselves,” he said. “They symbolize church and state, and have the substance of the universe in them, nothing benefits me more than my shoes.
“They answer all my silly questions,” he continued. “I can walk eight thousand miles in them. They’re wild and they notice everything. I never walk away and leave them anywhere, and they’ll never leave me either.”
How ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ impacted popular culture
Elvis’ “Blue Suede Shoes” appeared on his first album, Elvis Presley. That record came out in 1956, years before the Billboard Hot 100 existed, so it did not hit that chart. “Blue Suede Shoes” later became a track on the essential compilation album Elvis: 2nd to None. That record reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200, staying on the chart for 16 weeks. Aside from The Sun Sessions and Elvis: 30 #1 Hits, Elvis: 2nd to None is the Elvis compilation that music fans need to hear the most.
“Blue Suede Shoes,” as well as actual shoes made of blue suede, became symbols of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Marc Cohn’s classic soft-rock hit “Walking in Memphis” has several lyrical tributes to Elvis, including a narrator who wears blue suede shoes. The song also mentions Graceland, its Jungle Room, and the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s ghost. Cher famously covered that song.
Lana Del Rey has repeatedly tipped her hat to Elvis. Her song “Million Dollar Man” reuses the “one for the money / two for the show” hook from “Blue Suede Shoes.” “Million Dollar Man” appeared on the album Born to Die, which catapulted Del Rey into the mainstream and got numerous younger fans interested in classic rock.
“Blue Suede Shoes” is a great song and Dylan felt it references a superpower of sorts.
