Old Man Shoes?

Hey,

In either one song or a few (can't remember) I've heard Brian talk about his 'old man shoes'

Just wondering if you guys thought this was his Dad's shoes or like literally 'old man shoes'?

Not a huge deal, just curious.

I have always wondered this same thing.

It could mean the fact he's following in his father's footsteps. I know in an interview once he mentioned that where he grew up people were expected to whatever their father did. So, for example, if your father worked in a factory, you were expected to go an work in a factory. This seems a plausible explanation to me, so in the sense of your question evil_romantic, it could mean in the sense of following in his father's footsteps.

Alternatively (Gaslight is never straightforward) I have often seen Brian wear a 'classic' (don't know how to describe it) shoe even when he's in jeans and a tshirt, so it could mean this, and the reference be a fashion/style one.

Or he simply could mean both! I'd be interested to see what others make of this though.

Yeah. I've got a major hunch about him following in his father's footsteps.

I think remember that interview. Was that the one where he said when he was younger he remembered his Dad smelling like biscuits after he'd finished work?

I mean a pair of an old man shoes might be comfortable and warm in the winter but it's not very rock n roll though.

evil_romantic wrote:

Yeah. I've got a major hunch about him following in his father's footsteps.

I think remember that interview. Was that the one where he said when he was younger he remembered his Dad smelling like biscuits after he'd finished work?

I mean a pair of an old man shoes might be comfortable and warm in the winter but it's not very rock n roll though.

Brian's family history seems all over the place. I've heard him speak about his dad in one interview/while on stage and then in another say he never knew him?!?!

As for 'Old Man Shoes' not being rock and roll, it depends on who you're judgin rock and roll against. One of the more 'classic' rock artists Brian had said he likes (say Tom Waits?) might wear them? Alternatively, he may be saying in the sense of he's his own man; he's saying 'I'm wearing Old Man Shoes, so what?'

All depends on how you interpret it on a personal level really.

Tomaldo wrote:

It could mean the fact he's following in his father's footsteps.

I think if you look at it in context, it for sure means this- goes along with the story, and the theme in many of their songs......as far as a Dad, he does have a stepfather, I think that's who he's referring to in interviews etc. Someone who raised you- easy to call them a father/mother, rather than a stepfather/mother.....

liveit wrote:

......as far as a Dad, he does have a stepfather, I think that's who he's referring to in interviews etc. Someone who raised you- easy to call them a father/mother, rather than a stepfather/mother.....

I didn't know that, and good point.

I always thought 'Old Man's Shoes' meant following his fathers footsteps, but I suppose with the Gaslight Anthem you can never be 100% sure!

Ha, I always pictured Brian walking around wearing some old worn in Velcro shoes, but I definitely have to agree with the idea of following in his fathers footsteps.

Ha! You're killing me-in context it has to be following in someone's footsteps......

Walking in my old man's shoes, with a smile in my heart
I got a stuff'd bunny and a binky and I cry in the dark

liveit wrote:

......as far as a Dad, he does have a stepfather, I think that's who he's referring to in interviews etc. Someone who raised you- easy to call them a father/mother, rather than a stepfather/mother.....

Very true. I call my Stepdad, Dad and call my biological Dad by his first name. Sort of makes it easier to understand although it confuses my friends a lot. Although, my stepdad did not raise myself or my younger brother but I think it comes from being comfortable with that person to consider them a 'father figure' which is view that Brain seems to has developed.

That's an awesome picture!! She's happy as can be too, being in those shoes!!! Looks so warm where you are, freezing up here!

that is such a cute picture

So is she askin for the cadillac yet

awww... adorable!!!

That picture is great! When I heard this song for the first time I thought he said ... Thinkin about government AND my old man's shoes and how you'd understand that.

The immediate though was that quite often they both stink!

i think we're all talking about Wherefore, not Angry Johnny

Tom Waits has a song cald old shoes and Elton John has a song called Into The Old Man Shoes. I don't think Brian listens to Elton John though.

I think he got influenced by the Tom Waits song and made it old man shoes. I agree about the following his father footsteps interpretation.


just like this part from Rivers Edge

We've been burned by all our fears.
Just from growing up around here.
Our father's factories marked our cars.
While Eden burned against the stars.

He also said in an interview that he doesn't wear blue jeans and white t-shirts because of Springsteen, but because his working class dad used to wear that.

i get some of the references that people come up with for gaslight's songs, as in other singers and other lyrics, but sometimes i think it gets taken too far...give the guys some credit for originality.

steph wrote:

i get some of the references that people come up with for gaslight's songs, as in other singers and other lyrics, but sometimes i think it gets taken too far...give the guys some credit for originality.

oh I do I find them very original (they don't really sound like Springsteen, Dylan or Waits), but they also wear their influences on their sleave so that's why it's pointed out so often. and I think their influences and references is what makes them so great

that photo is awesome, it's hilarious how the height of the boot is nearly half her body size, haha.

Prisoner wrote:

steph wrote:

i get some of the references that people come up with for gaslight's songs, as in other singers and other lyrics, but sometimes i think it gets taken too far...give the guys some credit for originality.

oh I do I find them very original (they don't really sound like Springsteen, Dylan or Waits), but they also wear their influences on their sleave so that's why it's pointed out so often. and I think their influences and references is what makes them so great

i agree... sometimes i think people stretch it too far trying to link one little phrase of brian's lyrics to another artist, thats all. but yeah. i know what you mean.

In a kind of continuation from 'Old Man's Shoes', does anyone know if the 'Scientists Heart' that follows it in Wherefore means anything specific?

Tomaldo wrote:

In a kind of continuation from 'Old Man's Shoes', does anyone know if the 'Scientists Heart' that follows it in Wherefore means anything specific?

I like to think of it as being a reference to Coldplay's 'The Scientist', although I don't think they were a major influence on the boys haha

I always figured "Scientist's heart" just meant that he was very much emotionally cold and detatched, while recently I read an interview with Brian that mentioned how much he liked shoes and how much he wore laceless, slip-on shoes because of his desire to come off as more relaxed and chill than he actually was - I always think of those as shoes that older people wear, so that's what I think of it...