George Jones – Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes Lyrics

[Verse 1]
You know this old world is full of singers
But just a few are chosen
To tear your heart out when they sing
Imagine life without them
All your radio heroes
Like the outlaw
that walks through Jessi's dream
No, there will never be another
Red Headed Stranger
A Man in Black and Folsom Prison Blues
The Okie from Muskogee
Or Hello Darlin'
Lord I wonder, who's gonna fill their shoes?

[Chorus]
Who's gonna fill their shoes
Who's gonna stand that tall
Who's gonna play the Opry
And the Wabash Cannonball
Who's gonna give their heart and soul
To get to me and you
Lord I wonder, who's gonna fill their shoes?

[Verse 2]
God bless the boys from Memphis
Blue Suede Shoes and Elvis
Much too soon he left this world in tears
They tore up the Fifties
Old Jerry Lee and Charlie
And Go Cat Go still echoes through the years
You know the heart of country music
Still beats in Luke the Drifter
You can tell it when he sang I Saw the Light
Old Marty, Hank and Lefty
Why I can feel them right here with me
On this Silver Eagle rolling through the night
[Chorus]
Who's gonna fill their shoes
Who's gonna stand that tall
Who's gonna play the Opry
And the Wabash Cannonball
Who's gonna give their heart and soul
To get to me and you
Lord I wonder, who's gonna fill their shoes?

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About

Genius Annotation

In this somewhat maudlin tune, Jones sings about the great country stars of the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and laments that the current crop of country acts may not be ready to step up to the legacy of Hank Williams and other legendary acts.

The song was released in 1985, when country as a genre seemed to be in a slump – George Strait was still a young up-and-comer at this point, and the big 90s stars like Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson hadn’t even cut their first demos yet.

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