Traffic

Songwriter: Jim Capaldi Steve Winwood

Producer: Steve Winwood

[Instrumental Fade-In]

[Verse 1]
If you see something that looks like a star
And it's shooting up out of the ground
And your head is spinning from a loud guitar
And you just can't escape from the sound
Don't worry too much, it'll happen to you
We were children once, playing with toys

[Pre-Chorus 1]
And the thing that you're hearing is only the sound
Of the low spark of high-heeled boys

[Chorus]
The percentage you're paying is too high priced
While you're living beyond all your means
And the man in the suit has just bought a new car
From the profit he's made on your dreams
But today you just read that the man was shot dead
By a gun that didn't make any noise
But it wasn't the bullet that laid him to rest
Was the low spark of high-heeled boys

[Verse 2]
If you had just a minute to breathe
And they granted you one final wish
Would you ask for something like another chance?
Or something similar as this?
Don't worry too much it'll happen to you
As sure as your sorrows are joys

[Pre-Chorus 2]
And the thing that disturbs you is only the sound
Of the low spark of high-heeled boys

[Chorus]
The percentage you're paying is too high priced
While you're living beyond all your means
And the man in the suit has just bought a new car
From the profit he's made on your dreams
But today you just read that the man was shot dead
By a gun that didn't make any noise
But it wasn't the bullet that laid him to rest
Was the low spark of high-heeled boys, high-heeled boys

[Saxophone Solo]

[Piano Solo]

[Guitar Solo]

[Verse 3]
If I gave you everything that I owned
And asked for nothing in return
Would you do the same for me as I would for you?
Or take me for a ride
And strip me of everything including my pride
But spirit is something that no one destroys

[Outro]
And the sound that I'm hearing is only the sound
Of the low spark of high-heeled boys, heeled boys

[Instrumental Outro]

British psychedelic pop/rock band Traffic found success in both the UK and the US, captivating listeners with a broad array of genre-bending instrumentation.

Traffic was formed in 1967 when Steve Winwood parted ways with the Spencer Davis Group to join drummer Jim Capaldi, guitarist Dave Mason, and woodwind and keys player Chris Wood in their exploration of psychedelia and the tougher variations of late-sixties rock.

Traffic performing live at Woodstock in 1994

more tracks from the album

The Last Great Traffic Jam

From the albums

The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (1971)
On the Road (1973)
The Definitive Collection (1999)
Strangely Strange But Oddly Normal - An Island Anthology 1967-1972 (2005)
Gold (2005)
The Last Great Traffic Jam (2005)

Traffic popular songs

The Low Spark of High Heeled BoysTraffic

Traffic

The Last Great Traffic Jam