Walking in Memphis
| "Walking in Memphis" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Marc Cohn | ||||
| from the album Marc Cohn | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Format | 7" single, CD maxi | |||
| Recorded | 1991 | |||
| Genre | Pop, rock, soft rock[1] | |||
| Length | 4:18 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Writer(s) | Marc Cohn | |||
| Producer(s) | Marc Cohn, Ben Wisch | |||
| Marc Cohn singles chronology | ||||
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"Walking in Memphis" is a song by American singer-songwriter Marc Cohn, from his self-titled 1991 album. The song became Cohn's biggest hit, peaking at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and, after being re-released in autumn 1991, reached #22 on the UK chart. The popularity of this song helped Cohn win the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1992.
Content
The song is about a spiritual awakening (according to Marc Cohn). The reference to "Blue Suede Shoes" is not about Elvis Presley, but about Carl Perkins who recorded the song in Memphis for Sam Phillips at Sun Records. Perkins' ill luck in a car wreck stopped him touring to promote the record, allowing Elvis' cover version to become a massive hit. Presley's copy was done at RCA studios in Nashville. It also helped Elvis' version that he substituted for Carl Perkins on Ed Sullivan and sang the song. The narrator tells of seeing "The ghost of Elvis on Union Avenue" and following him up to the gates of Graceland. Sam Phillips' studios were called Memphis Recording Service and were at 706 Union Avenue.
Writing and inspiration
Marc Cohn said of the song, "It's 100 percent autobiographical. The moment I wrote it, I had no idea I was writing a hit, but I knew I was writing something that deeply defined so many facets of me — my conflicting feelings about religion, about my own state, my humor about it, my acceptance about everybody in terms of what they believe. … It's not a religious thing for me, it's just deeply moving. And I guess that's all in that line…It's so funny — people often think that I'm Christian or born-again, from not only that song, but others. In a way, I like that. There's nothing clear about what I'm writing, in terms of spirituality. But to me, that line could have only been written by a Jew. It's such a Jewish line, and I love that."[2] Cohn later explained the imagery: "It's a pretty literal transcription of a visit I made there in 1986. I went to Graceland, I heard Al Green preach the gospel, I saw W. C. Handy's statue. But the song is about more than just a place, it's about a kind of spiritual awakening, one of those trips where you're different when you leave. The main part of the trip is the last verse - a lady named Muriel." Cohn said when he was 32, he met Muriel Wilkins, a little-known club singer and pianist, at a restaurant an hour outside town. "I talked to her for an hour and then she invited me up to sing. She ended up changing my life. She had an incredible effect on me, not only as a musician, but as a person. She saw things in me and shared things with me that I don't normally talk about, mostly revolving around my parents, who died when I was pretty young." Cohn credited as the inspiration to write "Walking in Memphis" and the other songs that appear on Marc Cohn, his debut album. Cohn addressed the mention of Elvis Presley and expressed that he almost regrets mentioning Presley in the song. "To me, the song is so minimally about him, but I worry that it gets cast off as another Elvis tribute. It's a testament to the power of his name, even if you just mention it in one verse, the song becomes about him because people focus on it."[3]
Critical reception
Mary Chang of “Music in Notes” said of the song, ”‘Walking in Memphis’ by Cleveland-born singer/songwriter Marc Cohn shows how piano can be used in a pop song as an emphatic declaration of feeling… I’m not a religious person by any means, but there is something so stirring so powerful in the words “She said, ‘Tell me are you a Christian, child?’ / and I said, ‘Ma’am, I am tonight!’”, you want to get up out of your chair and shout.”[4] Michael Waterman said of Cohn and his “one-hit wonder song” on TopOneHitWonders.com, “We still like ‘Walking in Memphis’ for its well-placed references to Elvis and Al Green. For that alone we give it bonus points on the one-hit-ometer.”[5]
Track listings
- 7" single
- "Walking in Memphis" — 4:18
- "Dig Down Deep" — 5:08
- 7" single
- "Walking in Memphis" — 4:18
- "Silver Thunderbird" (live) — 5:26
- CD maxi
- "Walking in Memphis" — 4:18
- "Dig Down Deep" — 5:08
- "Saving the Best for Last" — 5:31
Charts
| Chart (1991-1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart[6] | 11 |
| Dutch Mega Top 100[6] | 56 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart[6] | 45 |
| German Singles Chart[7] | 25 |
| Irish Singles Chart[8] | 7 |
| UK Singles Chart[9] | 22 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[ 1] | 13 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[ 1] | 12 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[ 1] | 74 |
| US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)[10] | 7 |
Cover versions
| "Walking in Memphis" | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Cher | ||||||||||
| from the album It's a Man's World | ||||||||||
| Released | October 13, 1995 | |||||||||
| Recorded | 1995 | |||||||||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||||||||
| Length | 3:59 | |||||||||
| Label | WEA | |||||||||
| Writer(s) | Marc Cohn | |||||||||
| Producer(s) | Christopher Neil | |||||||||
| Cher singles chronology | ||||||||||
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Cher version
"Walking in Memphis" is the first European single by American singer-actress Cher from her twenty-second studio album, It's a Man's World. It was released in the end of 1995 by WEA. The song was performed in some shows in Europe, and in her tours since the Do You Believe? Tour.
Song information
Cher's cover peaked at #11 on the British charts. This version is noteworthy in that it is reversed in regard to gender, replacing the line "but I'm as blue as a boy can be" with "but I'm as blue as a girl can be", Muriel with Gabriel, "they brought me down to see her" with "they brought me down to see him", "she said: tell me, are you a Christian?" with "he said: tell me, are you a Christian?" and "ma'am, I am tonight" with "man, I am tonight". The Cher version of the song was a notable part of the conclusion of The X-Files episode "The Post-Modern Prometheus". It was also performed in the movie "Finding Graceland".
Critical reception
Allmusic called this cover rousing.[11] Jim Farber stated that it "must be heard to be believed."[12]
Live performances
Cher performed the song on the following concert tours:
- Do You Believe? Tour
- The Farewell Tour (sung on the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and the ninth leg of the tour)
- Cher at the Colosseum
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of all single releases of "Walking in Memphis".
UK CD Maxi-Single Pt 1 (WEA 021 CD1)[13][14]
- "Walking in Memphis"
- "Angels Running"
- "Walking in Memphis" (Shut Up & Dance Instrumental)
UK CD Maxi-Single Pt 2 (WEA 021 CD2)[14][15]
- "Walking In Memphis" (Shut Up & Dance Vocal)
- "Walking In Memphis" (Shut Up & Dance Instrumental)
- "Walking In Memphis" (Rated P.G. Mix)
- "Walking In Memphis" (Baby Doc Mix)
UK 2 x 12" Vinyl (0630-13100-0)[14][16]
Same tracklist of the UK CD Maxi-Single Pt 2.[14]
UK 12" Vinyl (WEA032T)[14][17]
- A1. "One By One" (Junior's Club Vocal)
- B1. "Walking In Memphis" (Shut Up And Dance Vocal Mix)
- B2. "Walking In Memphis" (Baby Doc Mix)
US 12" Vinyl Promo (PRO-A-8428)[14][18]
- A1. "One By One" (Junior's Pride Mix)
- A2. "One By One" (Bonus Beats)
- A3. "One By One" (Piano Dub)
- B1. "Walking In Memphis" (Shut Up And Dance Mix)
- B2. "Walking In Memphis" (Rated PG Mix)
Official versions
- Main Version (3:59)
- Rated P.G. Mix (7:25)
- Baby Doc Mix (7:11)
- Shut Up & Dance Vocal (5:05)
- Shut Up & Dance Vocal Edit (3:40)
- Shut Up & Dance Instrumental (5:10)
Charts
| Chart (1995) [19] | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 17 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 44 |
| European Singles Chart | 36 |
| German Singles Chart | 63 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 13 |
| Turkish (Airplay) Singles Chart | 2 |
| UK Singles Chart[20] | 11 |
Skott Freedman version
In 2003, indie singer-songwriter Skott Freedman released a solo piano cover of the song on his album "Some Company". The song remains one of the most popular downloaded versions of "Memphis" on iTunes.
Calle Kristiansson version
The Swedish rock singer-songwriter Calle Kristiansson released a cover of the song 2009. The song became on of 2010 most played songs in Sweden and has been live-recorded innumerable times at live performance, radio and TV. The song was released as a single and is included on Calle Kristiansson self-titled album. The song reached # 5 on the Swedish top chart. Since then his version of the song has been spreading all over the world, making it one of the most popular version.
Top chart
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Sweden | 5 |
Lonestar version
| "Walking in Memphis" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Lonestar | ||||
| from the album From There to Here: Greatest Hits | ||||
| Released | August 11, 2003 | |||
| Recorded | 2003 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:50 | |||
| Label | BNA | |||
| Writer(s) | Marc Cohn | |||
| Producer(s) | Dann Huff | |||
| Lonestar singles chronology | ||||
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American country music band Lonestar also released a cover version of the song. The song, which reached #8 on the Hot Country Songs chart and #61 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2003, can be found on their album From There to Here: Greatest Hits.
Music video
The music video was directed by Milton Lage and premiered in late 2003.
Chart positions
"Walking in Memphis" debuted at number fifty-nine on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of August 16, 2003.
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[ 1] | 8 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[ 1] | 61 |
Dance tracks based on Walking in Memphis
Shut Up and Dance version ("Raving I'm Raving")
In 1992, English band Shut Up and Dance released Raving I'm Raving, a Breakbeat Hardcore track based significantly on Walking in Memphis. Several lyrics were altered including the line "I'm walking in Memphis" becoming "I'm raving, I'm raving".
The single reached #2 on the UK singles chart in May 1992,[21] but ran into difficulties as they had not obtained clearance. As a result the track was banned, causing it to fall to #15 the next week then leave the charts completely. Proceeds were ordered to be given to charity.
Scooter version ("I'm Raving")
In 1996, German hard dance band Scooter released a similar cover entitled "I'm Raving"[22] as a single from their album Wicked!. The single went gold in Germany and peaked at number 4 on the German charts.
References
- ↑
- ↑ Knopper, Steve. "Marc Cohn went back to 1970 for latest album". ChicagoTribrune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
- ↑ Brown, G. (15 November 1991). "Marc Cohn influenced by club singer". Denver Post.
- ↑ Chang, Mary. "Song Analysis #3: Marc Cohn – ‘Walking in Memphis’". musicinnotes.wordpress.com. Music in Notes. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
- ↑ Waterman, Michael. "Walking in Memphis – Marc Cohn". TopOneHitWonders.com. Top One Hit Wonders. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Walking in Memphis", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved January 2, 2009)
- ↑ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de (Retrieved January 2, 2009)
- ↑ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved January 2, 2009)
- ↑ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved January 2, 2009)
- ↑ "Marc Cohn Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
- ↑ Review by Allmusic Retrieved 15 October 2013
- ↑ Album review by Entertainment Weekly Retrieved October 2013
- ↑ Cher - Walking in Memphis
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 "Walking In Memphis Single".
- ↑ Cher - Walking in Memphis
- ↑ Cher - Walking in Memphis
- ↑ Cher - One By One
- ↑ Cher - One By One/Walking In Memphis
- ↑ "Walking in Memphis", in Austrian, Swedish, and Dutch, Singles Chart Lescharts.com (Retrieved February 19, 2009)
- ↑ UK Singles Chart . Retrieved October 31, 2010.
- ↑ Roberts, David (2005). British Hit Singles & Albums (18th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 455. ISBN 1-904994-00-8.
- ↑ Roberts, David (2005). British Hit Singles & Albums (18th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 443. ISBN 1-904994-00-8.
External links
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