meaning of low spark of high heel boys

I always thought it was a gay thing.

» The Low Spark Of High-heeled Boys

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
And the thing that you're hearing is only the sound of
The low spark of high-heeled boys
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
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
And the thing that disturbs you is only the sound of
The low spark of high-heeled boys
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
And the sound that I'm hearing is only the sound
The low spark of high-heeled boys

Just so we have something to reference

I kind of thought it was maybe a gay thing too, but the words still don't make sense to me.

I dont have a clue what the reference to "the low spark of high heel boys" means either Classy, but you have to remember that a great many lyrics from the rock genre are meaningless, I'm still trying to work out what the lyric from the beatles "walrus" song was all about.

Can barely remember the melody, a piano mostly, but I do remember that it was a jam.

OK, so what *is* this song about? Jim Capaldi, in _Goldmine_ #97, explained
that he and actor Michael J. Pollard were in Morocco preparing for a movie
that was never actually made:

Pollard and I would sit around writing lyrics all day, talking about
Bob Dylan and the Band, thinking up ridiculous plots for the movie.
Before I left Morocco, Pollard wrote in my book [the line] 'The Low
Spark of High Heeled Boys.' For me, it summed him up. He had this
tremendous rebel attitude. He walked around in his cowboy boots, his
leather jacket. At the time he was a heavy little dude. It seemed to
sum up all the people of that generation who were just rebels. [...]
The 'Low Spark', for me, was the spirit, high-spirited. You know,
standing on a street corner. The low rider. The 'Low Spark' meaning
that strong undercurrent at the street level.

source = this place

Then, sadly, Capaldi and Pollard sold their notes to Elaine May for a big block of hashish, and it became Ishtar.

Thanks Gus...I was looking all over for a quote

Traffic was a great little band in it's time. And Steve Winwood was beautiful!

A lot of grumbling about their being nominated for the R&R hall of fame.

Whatever happened to Roy Buchanon? Still alive and kicking?

Why?

Roy died mysteriously at the hands of the Fairfax County police(Va)

Thanks, panzade.

I found this while I was waiting for an answer.

This dude could play a friggin' guitar

Yeah, tell me about it. I grew up jamming with him and his pals in the Fairfax area. He loved to play.

Low Spark is my all-time fav of Traffic. It calms me down in a way no other song can do. It says to me that while all else is insane around you, just maintain who you are.

And I never once thought there was any "gay" connection. It calls to be the spirit of those who are present, but are not engaged in destruction.

Cobalt!

Hello!

Ah, another Traffic fan, I see!

Cobalt
I agree it does have a very calming effect on me, too.
Classy

I had the same question - I never really listened to Traffic growing up, but last month WXPN - 88.5 out of Philadelphia (one of the great adult alternative radio stations - they actually created the genre; their "World Cafe with David Dye" show is broadcast nationally on NPR) put together their top 885 songs of all-time as voted on by listeners - an amazing list - go to www.xpn.org and find "Top 885 of All Time" link - you can save it as a pdf.

Anyhoo...

Low Spark of the High Heeled Boys was #33 and as I listened to it, I thought - whoa, what a great song, and what does it mean? I don't think it's a gay reference - wouldn't make a lot of sense given the times (1970); I do like the ideas that relate to Michael Pollard below - and there seems to be a sense of how folks of the time were trying to capitalize on this spirit, which would have been the complete wrong thing to do.

Despite what it means, what a great line from a great song.