Worn Out Shoes by Barefoot Bran

lyrics (c) by Barefoot Bran

Soles wear down just the same
No matter what road we take
Every journey takes a different route
But every path is made of the same ground

(chorus)
How can I be angry with you
When you set down your worn out shoes
Next to mine

We all bow down to our knees
Every now and then to tie a lace
Each shoes hides worn out feet
Yearning for some rest or a slower pace

chorus

You can’t always keep from stumbling
As you walk on the rugged dirt
But I’ll lend a hand if you start to fall
Together our feet will kiss the earth

chorus

This song started with a dream. I dreamed I was in a world religion's class, and we had to choose a quote from a sacred text and produce a piece of visual art inspired by it. I chose a (non-existent) line from a (non-existent) piece of Buddhist poetry "How can I be angry at you when you set down your worn out shoes next to mine?" It was so beautiful, and in the dream I created this work of art of the profile of the Buddha breathing out the universe, and the universe, like a wave, curled back and intertwined with the Buddha so the two were inseparable.

I woke up, touched by the meaning of that line. It was clear to me the meaning: the shared humanity in us all. We all walk different roads, but those roads are all tough and make our feet ache. No matter what path you walk, we all share the same hardships and suffering. All we can do is to be kind to one another.

And so the song was born: the chorus completely written in a dream.