“Walking In Memphis” (1991) by Marc Cohn

MARC COHN

Walking In Memphis

written by Marc Cohn

produced by Marc Cohn and Ben Wisch

I’m making this page July 5th, 2021, the 62nd birthday of American

singer/songwriter Marc Craig Cohn. Happy Birthday, MC!!

Marc is from Ohio, born and raised. He’s a self-taught musician,

learning the guitar and piano on his own as well as singing. He could be referred to as a one-hit wonder with this song, the autobiographical “Walking In Memphis,” though a few other of his singles and records charted decently as well. Atlantic kept him in contract through the ’90s, and he released albums and singles sporadically after. His last studio album is Listening Booth: 1970, from the year 2010, though he put out a live album, Work To Do, in summer ’19, which spawned a title single.

It’s impossible to know whether I actually heard any others of his songs on the radio aside from this one, but this tune is the reason I know Marc’s name; in fact, it’s a prime example of a song I had to look up once it came to mind, as the radio DJs hardly if ever mentioned his name. (They had to have known the artist/band names—they had the promotional singles from the record companies, yes?) Go figure.

Have notes to add? Let me know!

YT:

full version

music video

Marc’s official website

1991

Lyrics

Put on my blue suede shoes, and I boarded the plane / Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues / In the middle of the pouring rain / W.C. Handy, won’t you look down over me / Yeah, I got a first class ticket / But I’m as blue as a boy can be / Then I’m walking in Memphis / Was walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale / Walking in Memphis / But do I really feel the way I do / Saw the ghost of Elvis, on Union Avenue / Followed him up to the gates of Graceland / Then I watched him walk right through / Now security, they did not see him / They just hovered ’round his tomb / But there’s a pretty little thing, waiting for the King / Down in the Jungle Room / When I was walking in Memphis / I was walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale / Walking in Memphis / But do I really feel the way I do / They’ve got catfish on the table / They’ve got gospel in the air / And Reverend Green be glad to see you / When you haven’t got a prayer / But boy, you’ve got a prayer in Memphis / Now, Muriel plays piano, every Friday at the Hollywood / And they brought me down to see her / And they asked me if I would / Do a little number, and I sang with all my might / She said, “Tell me, are you a Christian child?” / And I said, “Ma’am, I am tonight!” / Walking in Memphis (walking in Memphis) / I was walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale (whoa, whoa, whoa) / Walking in Memphis (walking in Memphis) / But do I really feel the way I do / x1 / x1 / Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues / In the middle of the pouring rain

first release: Marc Cohn (1991/02/12)

WALKING IN MEMPHIS {Single}—Marc Cohn.jpg

audio treated sample

This page was originally made on July 5th, 2021 and last edited on July 29th, 2021