Friday May 20, 2022 “Walking in Memphis” Marc Cohn

Good story songs always capture my attention and Marc Cohn tells a good one with “Walking in Memphis” and by the time he gets to the line where Murial asks him “Tell me are you a Christian child”, And I said “Ma’am I am tonight”, well he owns me.
According to Marc Cohn this song about his trip to Memphis is mostly true.  He wanted to visit Graceland, travel Beale Street, hear a sermon by the Reverend Al Green but then quite accidentally he wound up at the Hollywood Cafe and was sitting in with a 70 year old African American singer named Muriel.  I’m guessing he didn’t really see the ghost of Elvis as he suggests in the song, but maybe he did.

Cohn lost his mother at age two and his father at age twelve leaving him a traumatized young man.  When he met Muriel at the Hollywood, a woman he had never seen before, he said he just felt the desire to open all those old wounds in conversation with her.  When he finished his songs, Muriel leaned into him and whispered, “You've got to let go of your mother, child, she didn't mean to die, she's where she's got to be and you're where you have to be, child, it's time to move on.”

Cohn said it was the very best therapy he ever had.

I spent a night in Memphis for business many years back but had to leave the next morning so never got to Graceland or enjoy the city. But each time I hear this song it takes me right down to Beale Street with my feet ten feet off the ground.

Stay safe and well…and get some blue suede shoes and head to Memphis, that’s my plan.

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 feel?

 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 feel?

 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)

Was walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale

Walking in Memphis

(Walking in Memphis)

But do I really feel the way I feel?

 Walking in Memphis

(Walking in Memphis)

I was walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale

Walking in Memphis

(Walking in Memphis)

But do I really feel the way I feel?

 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

Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues

In the middle of the pouring rain