Barefoot In The Park
by James Blake (featuring Rosalia)

Album: Assume Form (2019)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is a duet between James Blake and Rosalía, a Spanish singer-songwriter who mixes flamenco with modern production and beats. The collaboration came about when Blake's manager played him Rosalia's 2017 debut album Los Ángeles; Blake was immediately struck by her raw vulnerability. She came to the studio, and "Barefoot In The Park" was one of the songs they laid down.
  • The Spanglish track is an ode to the obsessive feeling that comes with the early days of a relationship.

    When you're done with me
    I see a negative space
    Who needs to hallucinate?


    Blake explained to Genius the lyric is about "someone can make you feel so great that you are in almost a hallucinogenic state, the way you see behind the curtain of reality."
  • The song was inspired by the premise of the 1967 romantic comedy Barefoot in the Park in which spontaneous Jane Fonda brings the uptight Robert Redford out of his shell.

    Barefoot in the park
    You start rubbing off on me


    During the movie, Fonda loosens up Redford enabling him to feel able to kick off his shoes and go "barefoot in the park." Blake explained the chorus references "That feeling of the better aspects of somebody's character rubbing off on you. That's a wonderful part of hanging around with someone so much, that you start to let go of some of your -isms."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo Lyric

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo LyricMusic Quiz

In this quiz, spot the artist who put Romeo into a song lyric.

James Williamson of Iggy & the Stooges

James Williamson of Iggy & the StoogesSongwriter Interviews

The Stooges guitarist (and producer of the Kill City album) talks about those early recordings and what really happened with David Bowie.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Shawn Mullins

Shawn MullinsSongwriter Interviews

"Lullaby" singer Shawn Mullins on "Beautiful Wreck," beating the Devil, and his writing credit on the Zac Brown Band song "Toes."

Jonathan Edwards - "Sunshine"

Jonathan Edwards - "Sunshine"They're Playing My Song

"How much does it cost? I'll buy it?" Another songwriter told Jonathan to change these lyrics. Good thing he ignored this advice.