In the musical movie, ‘Into The Woods’, which retells the Cinderella story (among other fairy tales), her shoes got stuck in pitch, as set by Prince Charming, to prevent her from escaping (again), while he is literally at her heels. She then breaks into what I call the ‘shoe goo song’ (On The Steps Of The Palace) in slo-mo semi-background bullet time –
He’s a very smart Prince,
He’s a Prince who prepares.
Knowing this time I’d run from him,
He spread pitch on the stairs.
Comments: If he was more smart, he only needed more guards. (Hey, that rhymes too!)
And I’m caught unawares.
Well it means that he cares –
This is more than just malice.
Comments: If he cared more, he would win her over more, not just to have her more. (Hey, that rhymes too!)
Better stop and take stock
While you’re standing here stuck
On the steps of the palace.
Comments: Should had before taken stock, before been taken stuck. (Hey, that rhymes too!)
Alright, what do you want?
Have to make a decision.
Why not stay and be caught?
Should I give that a thought?
What would be his response?
Comments: So between totally and not at all stuck, she later chooses to be half-stuck. (Hey, that rhymes too!)
But then what if he knew
Who I am, when I know
That I’m not what he thinks
That he wants?
Comments: If he likes her because she is so charming, it doesn’t matter if her status isn’t so charming. (Hey, that rhymes too!)
Or, then, what if I am
What a Prince would envision?
But then how can you know
Who you are till you know
What you want, which I don’t?
Comments: If she knew what she wanted, she would know who she wanted (to be too). (Hey, that rhymes too!)
So then, which do you pick:
Where you’re safe, out of sight,
And yourself, but where everything’s wrong?
Or where everything’s right,
But you know that you’ll never belong?
Comments: How can it be safe when everything’s wrong? How can everything be right when you don’t belong? (Hey, that rhymes too!)
And whichever you pick,
Do it quick,
‘Cause you’re starting to stick
To the steps of the palace.
Comments: Always running in time we are. Always running out of time we are. (Hey, that rhymes too!)
It’s my first big decision,
The choice isn’t easy to make.
To arrive at a ball
Is exciting and all.
Once you’re there, though, it’s scary.
And it’s fun to deceive
When you know you can leave,
But you have to be wary.
Comments: Her first big decision was to go to the ball. Her second big decision was how to leave the ball. Why even deceive? Why not let him receive (her and the truth)? (Hey, that rhymes too!)
There’s a lot that’s at stake,
But I’ve stalled long enough,
‘Cause I’m still standing stuck
In the stuff on these steps…
Comments: How do you know you have stalled enough, when your decision might not be good enough? (Hey, that rhymes too!)
Better run along home
And avoid the collision.
Though at home they don’t care,
I’ll be better off there,
Where there’s nothing to choose,
So there’s nothing to lose.
Comments: But to choose to have nothing to lose, is too to choose to have everything to lose. (Hey, that rhymes too!)
So I’ll pry up my shoes.
Wait, no, thinking it through,
Things don’t have to collide.
I know what my decision is,
Which is not to decide.
Comments: Not to decide then, is to decide then. It’s hard to say then, which is which then. (Hey, that rhymes too!)
I’ll just leave him a clue:
For example, a shoe.
And then see what he’ll do.
Comments: That is really too broad a clue, as many can fit a shoe! Why can’t the Prince recognise her by face? Why use a foot’s size in its place? (Hey, that rhymes too!)
Now it’s he and not you
Who’ll be stuck with a shoe,
In a stew, in the goo.
And I’ve learned something, too,
Something I never knew,
On the steps of the palace.
Comments: But she’ll still be stuck, without a clue, on what to do, if along comes the shoe! (Hey, that rhymes too!)