About The Song
“Blue Suede Shoes” was written by Carl Perkins on December 17, 1955, and recorded two days later at Sun Records in Memphis for producer Sam Phillips. Released in early January 1956 as Sun 234, with “Honey Don’t” as the B-side, the single quickly became one of the defining records of the emerging rockabilly sound. Perkins handled lead vocals and guitar, joined by his brothers Jay on rhythm guitar and Clayton on bass, with W.S. Holland on drums.
The song reached number one on the Billboard country chart and peaked at number two on the pop chart, held off the top spot by Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel.” It also rose to number two on the R&B chart, making Perkins the first country artist to achieve that level of crossover success on the national rhythm-and-blues listings. The record sold more than a million copies and became Sun Records’ first million-seller.
Inspiration for the lyric came from a combination of everyday observation and conversation. Perkins drew on the image of a man fiercely protective of his stylish blue suede shoes, incorporating a nursery-rhyme opening—“One for the money, two for the show”—before listing a series of disasters he would rather face than have anyone step on those shoes. The finished recording captured a lively, rhythmic energy that appealed across country, pop, and R&B audiences.
In March 1956, while traveling to appear on the Perry Como television show to promote the hit, Perkins was involved in a serious automobile accident that injured him and his brother Jay. The timing limited his ability to fully capitalize on the song’s momentum at its commercial peak. Meanwhile, Elvis Presley recorded his own version, which further spread the song’s popularity and helped establish it as a rock-and-roll standard.
Despite the setback, “Blue Suede Shoes” secured Perkins’s place in the early history of rockabilly and rock ’n’ roll. The recording demonstrated how a strong original song, a distinctive vocal and guitar style, and the raw energy of the Sun studio could reach a wide national audience. It has remained one of the most frequently covered and referenced songs of the mid-1950s.
Within Carl Perkins’s career and the broader story of Sun Records, “Blue Suede Shoes” stands as a landmark achievement. Its chart success, cultural impact, and lasting status as a classic have kept it among the essential recordings of the rockabilly era.
Video
Lyric
Well, it’s one for the money
Two for the show
Three to get ready
Now go, cat, go
But don’t you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoesWell, you can knock me down
Step in my face
Slander my name
All over the place
Do anything that you want to do, but uh-uh
Honey, lay off of my shoes
Don’t you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoesYou can burn my house
Steal my car
Drink my liquor
From an old fruit jar
Do anything that you want to do
But uh-uh honey, lay off of my shoes
Don’t you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes
RockWell, it’s one for the money
Two for the show
Three to get ready
Now go, cat, go
But don’t you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoesWell it’s
Blue, blue, blue suede shoes
Blue, blue, blue suede shoes, yeah
Blue, blue, blue suede shoes baby
Blue, blue, blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes