Costello, Elvis - (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes Lyrics






Oh I used to be disgusted
and now I try to be amused.
But since their wings have got rusted,
you know, the angels wanna wear my red shoes.
But when they told me 'bout their side of the bargain,
that's when I knew that I could not refuse.
And I won't get any older, now the angels wanna wear my red shoes.
I was watching while you're dancing away.
Our love got fractured in the echo and sway.
How come everybody wants to be your friend?
You know that it still hurts me just to say it.

Oh, I know that she's disgusted (oh why's that)
Cause she's feeling so abused. (oh that's too bad)
She gets tired of the lust, (oh I'm so sad)
but it's so hard to refuse.
How can you say that I'm too old,
when the angels have stolen my red shoes.

Oh, I said "I'm so happy, I could die."
She said "Drop dead," then left with another guy.
That's what you get if you go chasing after vengeance.
Ever since you got me punctured this has been my sentence.
Oh I used to be disgusted
and now I try to be amused.
But since their wings have got rusted,
you know, the angels wanna wear my red shoes.
Red shoes, the angels wanna wear my red shoes.





Other Lyrics by Artist

Rand Lyrics

Last Posts

Costello, Elvis (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes Comments
  1. s.... ....

    I worked at the Lancaster County Courthouse in the early 1990’s. A pretty blonde named Susan worked in another department there. One day, I noticed Susan wearing red shoes. I mentioned this song to her. She told me that she loves his music. Unfortunately for me, I soon learned that Susan had a boyfriend.

    A few months later, our staff learned that Susan was leaving her job. I bought her an EC box set as a going away present. She cried and gave me a big hug. I still associate this song with her.

  2. Y.... b....

    Pedophiles want to wear my Red Skin Shoes....

  3. M.... D....

    My "Red shoes" were ankle boot's.....

  4. l.... ....

    A perfect pop song.

  5. S.... P....

    New wave, Post-punk, Jangle pop, Power pop, Alternative rock

  6. A.... A....

    My ten year old thinks this is cooler than drake because of this https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/(A_Monster_Went_and)_Ate_My_Red_Two

  7. i.... ....

    Not only my favorite Costello song, probably my favorite song, full stop.

  8. i.... ....

    I'm disgusted and not amused by this music.

  9. M.... D....

    Greatness and brilliance, nothing less.

  10. D.... d....

    Back in the 70s I let my friends dad record my beatles white album on reel to reel and he gave me this album....It blew me away!

  11. f.... k....

    This whole album was ahead of it's time by several years. It was still getting a lot of play in America in the 80's when the second wave of British music came across the pond.

  12. v.... p....

    they want my black pumps imagine that

  13. K.... 6....

    Classic album-a must have in the collection.

  14. G.... B....

    I said 'I'm so happy I could die',
    She said 'drop dead' then left with another guy

    Haha, genius!

  15. N.... M....

    why is he so underrated? costello has a gift, His writing is beatles level tbh

    N.... M....

    Nowhere Man I think it was all those jazz and country albums, some of which I really like, that tarnished his reputation as a pop star. In terms of commercial success he kind of fell off in the 00’s, which is a shame, because he is a bonafide songwriter.

    N.... M....

    Absolute genius. Once you get drawn into his world you never want to leave.

    N.... M....

    Saying tbh is of underrating. If you truly feel so then don't take away from it. (I think it's not about that, songwriting talent and that's why you said tbh)

  16. p.... ....

    does it get any better? don't be silly

  17. V.... ....

    Who else is here after watching Veronica Mars? ;)

  18. T.... C....

    I used the be digusted, now I try to be ammuse.

    Probably the single best lyrics ever, simply because it seems to become more true as one grows older.

  19. N.... C....

    I used to be disgusted. Still am, but I also was.

  20. b.... ....

    I love early Elvis Costello!

  21. r.... ....

    Drunk every night back in 85 Rockin with this tune in Tempe Arizona Rollin with the Sun Devil's!!!

  22. K.... S....

    🤓Wonder how Elvis feels about his song being stolen ????🤬

  23. K.... H....

    ty for posting this

  24. D.... W....

    Antidote for silly love songs

  25. C.... ....

    I've loved Elvis Costello music for many years but never realized the true meaning of red shoes and it's connection to pedophilia. Now this song makes perfect sense.

    C.... ....

    Please keep your QAnon BS out of this. EC would laugh in your face if you put that moronic conspiracy theory to him.

  26. L.... A....

    Hermes costello

  27. M.... K....

    Pete Thomas I drank with you and Elvis in Cleveland Ohio. Hit me up buddy.

  28. J.... S....

    I look so fractured....

  29. W.... G....

    the introduction is outstanding whoo eeeee i could listen to that intro a thousand times

  30. R.... S....

    Buddy Holly cover's!

  31. A.... Y....

    This could fit in eerily with mythos of the TV show 'Supernatural'. Angels want to use his body-- to "wear" it in a sense, which will keep him from aging as long as he's a vessel. But the down side of that is that this immortality only applies while the angel is using his body, which means he can't get any benefit from his eternal youth.


    I wonder if Eric Kripke ever heard this song, and used it for inspiration when he was developing the angel storyline?

  32. E.... R....

    smile more :-)

  33. P.... 2....

    Blew my fucking mind first time I heard it. My brother got the album soon after we heard this on the radio and it changed everything for us. Inspired us to start a band,which led to a single which led to a Peel session. Thanks for the inspiration EC.

  34. T.... 1....

    Who's here after seeing Sesame Street's "A Monster Went & Ate My Red Two" featuring Elmo and Cookie Monster?

  35. D.... D....

    Fantastic!

  36. �.... ....

    昔、アルバム借りに行ってたなあ……懐かしいよ

  37. W.... O....

    He is also Billy Joel. Same dude same voice

    W.... O....

    Billy Joel is a bug eyed boring fucker.

    W.... O....

    philipm06 LoL

  38. R.... C....

    The real Elvis Costello: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc0TKZm3EjQ

  39. j.... ....

    *PERFECT !*

  40. J.... L....

    First emo song.

  41. J.... J....

    He's talking about dying or committing suicide because his girl left him. That's the bargain. He goes to heaven and the angels get to wear his red shoes. And he won't get any older...because he'll be dead. Awesome to read the lyrics after all this time. Thanks for posting.

  42. M.... W....

    I think I was 13 when I first heard this. I still love it 40 years later.

  43. j.... w....

    One of the best opening lines ever - I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused.

    j.... w....

    It's not good to try to be certain ways. You feel better because you feel as you do. You felt more amused if you felt disgusted if you did than you ever would by trying to be amused. At the same time this is an expression of a feel. And maybe one wud rather feel relieved. And anyway it's a longer topic. I didn't mean disgust is fully it and whatnot

  44. D.... k....

    Red shoes is a play on blue- suede shoes,,- from the original Elvis,,,remember him??? & The great Carl Perkins, establishing Costello's connectivity 2 1950' s rock' n rollers, (& later jazz, & pop, & country- western .)Also, biblical allusions, (-rock- history-) preacher' s & D.j' s burning& boy- cotting rock- record' s in the 50' s.The" angels "who; -( white' s, who crave that negroid cool, sexuality, & rhytm,.) (Appropriated.) Red shoes" symbolizes a sinner, resisting the white- main- stream-( the early rock- & roller) The negrozation of white- pop artist w the onset of Jazz ( Benny Goodman, Chet Baker/ "R& R" -Presley, & Holley.)( even early Every Brothers made the R&b charts before black' s found out they were white.) A lot 2 put in to a 2 min. 30 sec. Pop- song,- but that' s why Elvis is King!

  45. D.... k....

    "Oh I used 2 be disgusted,now I try 2 be amused,"- became a top- selling sticker in the late 70's. I think the song that made me a life- long Costello fan. So, radio- friendly, but those wad' s were' nt having it.

  46. V.... F....

    Totally in love.

  47. J.... V....

    "Oh I used to be disgusted
    and now I try to be amused.
    But since their wings have got rusted,
    you know, the angels wanna wear my red shoes."
    "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes," track 7 from Elvis Costello's 1977 debut album, "My Aim Is True." It was released as his third single in the same year. https://youtu.be/N0aAGP3ty_A?list=RDMHQK3yo9CBA

  48. R.... S....

    The Angel's DO want to wear his red shoe's and MY shirt that simply says "Whatever".

  49. T.... Q....

    Had to revisit this one again. liked the bass line in this. I have already stated that he looked a bit like Buddy Holly, he also reminds of Michael Emmerson, who plays Harold Finch in Person of Interest:

  50. A.... A....

    Clover were really good.

    A.... A....

    Hell ya. Local Sonoma County boys.

    A.... A....

    Wasn't Clover The News sans Huey Lewis?

    A.... A....

    @Jim Jenuwine . Yes, that's correct,they were Huey Lewis's the News.

    A.... A....

    whatever happened to the lead guitar player he was amazing

  51. J.... G....

    red 2, a monster went and ate my red two....

    J.... G....

    Josslyn Grijalva so awesome!

    J.... G....

    Josslyn Grijalva https://youtu.be/KxardpBReQc

  52. 3.... P....

    said " drop dead and left....."

  53. A.... R....

    "I'm so happy I could die. She said drop dead and left with another guy" So true and I Love it! Its the way they are, its not personal its business.

  54. T.... Q....

    Ah yes Red shoes ! Taken from his album My aim is True. I used to think it was his debut  single, but it was only an album track ! This was good enough to be released as a single. Liked the bass line of this song. His first UK single was Watching the Detectives in November 1977. He first appeared during the Punk era (like The Stranglers) though he never was punk. He kind of reminded me of Buddy Holly

  55. T.... U....

    That's what superstition gets ya'! Carry on!

  56. P.... C....

    Mr Elvis showed the world the art of good good timing

  57. J.... K....

    Thanks for posting this with the lyrics! For about thirty years I'd been wondering what he meant by "since the Windsor got rusted".

  58. J.... L....

    "Red Shoes" was one of my brother Steve's favorite Elvis songs.

  59. m.... M....

    whenever someone says "Elvis", I say COSTELLO

  60. S.... L....

    The red shoes represent lust and the angels are women. Women approach him for sex. He knows its wrong to take advantage of their innocence, but they offer him youth–in a sense that they're always going to desire him even when he's old. The speaker is messing around with women and ends up falling in love with one of them. The way he sings the song, he's making fun of the situation. Karma catches up to him when he falls in love with someone who he got addicted to sex.

  61. M.... F....

    My hero I'd die for you Elvis I'd take a million bullets for you elvis

  62. D.... T....

    The episode of Elvis,Sean Penn,Harry Dean Stanton & Bobby Cooper as Charlie's poker playing buddies in Two & A Half Men was good.

    D.... T....

    oh christ...i just saw that...! saved on my dvr for-eve

  63. m.... ....

    Only recently realized just how dark the meaning of this song is.

    m.... ....

    Interesting. I love this song.

    m.... ....

    mmmMatto - I'd always been curious about the lyrics too, so I looked into it. Elvis says he wrote this entire song on a 10 minute train ride to his mother's in Manchester, England. He actually wrote it "backwards", since his thoughts began with, even though he was only a 22 y/o, pondering about immortality!

    That's where the angels come in. Elvis imagined he was at a dance and angels with "rusted wings" appeared to him, and needing footwear they offered one wish (immortality) for his red shoes. His girlfriend didn't like any of this however and left with another guy.

    Elvis says he had to memorize the song on the train since he had no pen or paper, then when he go to his mother's, found an old guitar and began to play it. Is this guy a gifted songwriter or not?

    m.... ....

    Gifted indeed. At 22 I could barely write a C paper in college. :D

    For Christmas a couple years ago my girlfriend tracked down a signed copy of his memoir. Called every bookstore in the U.S. along his book signing tour and found one in Texas that had 2 copies left and asked if they could ship one over to her here in St. Louis. Best girlfriend ever.

    m.... ....

    @mmmMatto lucky man

    m.... ....

    @Tim Human Sacrifice spirit cooking

  64. D.... F....

    hes singing about dorothys ruby slippers

  65. s.... ....

    I'm more digustesd than amused these days.

    s.... ....

    I'm trying to turn that around... hard but healthier...

    s.... ....

    im *disgusted* by your spelling

    s.... ....

    I”m trying to
    be
    “just amused “

    s.... ....

    Spelling mistakes are an expression of feelings mattering more than spelling. That's just all.

  66. H.... ....

    Wizard of Oz reference?

    H.... ....

    No. Those were red slippers dummy.

    H.... ....

    Or “The Red Shoes” 1948

  67. S.... R....

    lauriley

  68. S.... R....

    your cool

  69. f.... ....

    Elvis is king

    f.... ....

    Indeed, Elvis is often referred to as the King.

  70. S.... b....

    Red shoes the angels want to where my red shoes

  71. L.... P....

    Oh I used to be disgusted
    and now I try to be amused.
    But since their wings have got rusted,
    you know, the angels wanna wear my red shoes.
    But when they told me 'bout their side of the bargain,
    that's when I knew that I could not refuse.
    And I won't get any older, now the angels wanna wear my red shoes.
    I was watching while you're dancing away.
    Our love got fractured in the echo and sway.
    How come everybody wants to be your friend?
    You know that it still hurts me just to say it.

    Oh, I know that she's disgusted (oh why's that)
    Cause she's feeling so abused. (oh that's too bad)
    She gets tired of the lust, (oh I'm so sad)
    but it's so hard to refuse.
    How can you say that I'm too old,
    when the angels have stolen my red shoes.

    Oh, I said "I'm so happy, I could die."
    She said "Drop dead," then left with another guy.
    That's what you get if you go chasing after vengeance.
    Ever since you got me punctured this has been my sentence.
    Oh I used to be disgusted
    and now I try to be amused.
    But since their wings have got rusted,
    you know, the angels wanna wear my red shoes.
    Red shoes, the angels wanna wear my red shoes.

    L.... P....

    I always thought he was saying " I look half-wretched in the echo & sway...".

    L.... P....

    I always thought it was: "That's what you get if you go chasing after angels, but since you got the gumption, that's just been my assumption."

    L.... P....

    Such a brilliant song lyrically and musically. What a breath of fresh air EC was in 77.

  72. B.... H....

    Who exactly are these angels and what's so special about your red shoes?

    B.... H....

    I guess the red shoes are special because the angels wanna wear them. And the angels, though somewhat fallen, can still offer immortality to an older guy with the right fashion sense.

  73. D.... P....

    Love his voice

  74. C.... J....

    Page 160 in his autobiography....EC wrote this straight away, on a train ride to his mother's house in the Summer of 1976. How do lyrics like that come to a 22 year old? Amazing.

    C.... J....

    I dunno I was drinking a lot 7 months ago..@Brian Griffin

    C.... J....

    @Dan Armando That'll do it.

    C.... J....

    They came from Pizzagate

    C.... J....

    My Mother told me, when I was young to never, ever wear red shoes. Reading his Autobiography. #Pub rock!#NickLowe/DaveEdmunds💗

    C.... J....

    I know.

  75. J.... S....

    Yes my favourites song

  76. C.... S....

    LP released in USA in Dec 1977

  77. m.... ....

    I can still remember the first time I heard this song. The opening chords alone. Wow.

  78. K.... G....

    GR8 song!! thanks for posting man!

  79. W.... H....

    A Brilliant Track!

  80. L.... ....

    Прикольное видео! мне понравилось, умничка!) Вообще уважаю труд тех кто делает видео, и ведет свои каналы. Я сама веду канал и знаю, как это непросто - записывать ролики.
    Так держать!

    L.... ....

    Elvis' best track....what is beautiful is that no one knows what it means and for musicians it's so full of A and B chords....magic

    L.... ....

    i agree

  81. �.... �....

    Стоющая информация!!!

  82. g.... ....

    My Aim is True is definitely one of the finest albums of 1977.

    g.... ....

    Your Aim Is True.

    g.... ....

    One of the best albums of all time.

    g.... ....

    A comment from years ago - but still holds true

    g.... ....

    Probably one of the best albums of all time. Who's listening in 2018?

    g.... ....

    His first 6 albums were all flawless

  83. S.... S....

    Watch me dance and sing as the angels and I play chase

    S.... S....

    Whatever you say, Shawn.

    S.... S....

    @Chip Gaasche that's funny