For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday, Jim Adams once again looks to Paula Light (Light Motifs II) for inspiration. And Paula gave us Socks, Shoes, Boots, and Feet to work with. I decided to go with Paul Simon’s “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes.”

“Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” was written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the fourth single from his 1986 studio album, Graceland. The song features guest vocals from the South African male choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Paul Simon traveled to South Africa in 1985 and recorded with various local musicians, gathering tracks that would be used on the Graceland album. While he was there, he met with the leader of a vocal group called Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and he flew them to London to record the song “Homeless.”

Simon and the group bonded at these sessions, and when Paul was finishing the album in New York, he brought them in to back him on his “Saturday Night Live” appearance on May 10, 1986.

Paul Simon said that the songs on the album Graceland, including this one were not at all political. He considered writing political songs for Graceland, but decided against it, since he wasn’t very good at it and the point of the project was to bring the sound of South Africa to the world, not its politics.

Simon said that he worked very hard to lace the lyrics around the tracks, which was tricky since there was so much going on in the rhythms. The result on this song was a lot of clever wordplay and an abstract story about a rich girl in New York City and her suitors. A clue that there might not be too deep a meaning here is in the line, “and I could say ‘ooo ooo ooo’ as if everybody knows what I’m talking about.”

Simon felt that this song was one of his best musical achievements. He said the song suited his voice very well.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo sing in Zulu on this song. Their refrain roughly translates to: “It’s not usual but in our days we see those things happen. They are women, they can take care of themselves.”

Here are the lyrics to Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes.”

(A-wa) O kodwa you zo-nge li-sa namhlange 
(A-wa a-wa) Si-bona kwenze ka kanjani 
(A-wa a-wa) Amanto mbazane ayeza 
She's a rich girl 
She don't try to hide it 
Diamonds on the soles of her shoes 

He's a poor boy 
Empty as a pocket 
Empty as a pocket with nothing to lose 
Sing Ta na na 
Ta na na na 

She got diamonds on the soles of her shoes 
She got diamonds on the soles of her shoes 
Diamonds on the soles of her shoes 
Diamonds on the soles of her shoes 

People say she's crazy 
She got diamonds on the soles of her shoes 
Well that's one way to lose these 
Walking blues 
Diamonds on the soles of her shoes 

She was physically forgotten 
Then she slipped into my pocket 
With my car keys 
She said you've taken me for granted 
Because I please you 
Wearing these diamonds 

And I could say Oo oo oo 
As if everybody knows 
What I'm talking about 
As if everybody would know 
Exactly what I was talking about 
Talking about diamonds on the soles of her shoes 

She makes the sign of a teaspoon 
He makes the sign of a wave 
The poor boy changes clothes 
And puts on after-shave 
To compensate for his ordinary shoes 

And she said honey take me dancing 
But they ended up by sleeping 
In a doorway 
By the bodegas and the lights on 
Upper Broadway 
Wearing diamonds on the soles of their shoes 

And I could say Oo oo oo 
As if everybody here would know 
What I was talking about 
I mean everybody here would know exactly 
What I was talking about 
Talking about diamonds 

People say I'm crazy 
I got diamonds on the soles of my shoes 
Well that's one way to lose 
These walking blues 
Diamonds on the soles of our shoes