‘Fall on your face in those bad shoes’

Pretty shoes are nice enough in their own way. They have their place. Garden parties. Weddings. Meeting your new boyfriend’s parents for the first time.

But give me killer heels for stomping concrete in the city … fierce shoes to break men’s hearts into little tiny pieces and grind them in the dirt! (Not that I would do that of course.)

But give me killer heels for stomping concrete in the city…

There’s a line in a Pixies song about a woman falling on her face in her bad shoes. I often toyed with various notions on what Black Francis meant exactly.

I think I know now.

They weren’t ugly, or disgracefully worn out; they were high and made for teetering, like my new little beauties above. Fortunately I haven’t planted my face in the sidewalk … yet. 

Tame, from Doolittle by the Pixies

got hips like cinderella
must be having a good shame
talking sweet about nothing
cookie i think you're
tame

i'm making good friends with you
when you're shaking your good frame
fall on your face in those bad shoes
lying there like you're tame

uh huh huh

tame