The Story behind Cohn's "Walking in Memphis" Hit Song
Song Lyrics Name Popular Sightseeing Spots in Memphis and the Area
BY TERESA R SIMPSON
Updated 6/29/19
The 1991 hit song "Walking in Memphis" originally by singer and SongWriter Marc
Cohn poetically recalls his first visit to Memphis-the taproof for some of
his treasured, influential musicians like Al Green, Elvis Presley, and Isaac Hayes.
The song embodies a lot of the spirit and character of the city. If you're passing
through or spending leisure time in town, lines from the song point out great things
about Memphis and some potential sightseeing spots.
The Inspiration for the Song
The story goes thatCohn was having a dry spell coming up with his signature music
and lyrics. He was inspired by masterful singer and songwriter James Taylor who had
said that he broke his writer's block by going somewhere he'd never been and then got
inspiration from that experience. Memphis was just the place for Cohn.
As you learn from the song, Cohn did touristy things like visited Graceland but also
asked friends for more obscure, off-the-beaten-path suggestions, which resulted in a
visit to Full Gospel Tabernacle Church and the Hollywood Cafe in Robinsonville,
Mississippi.
Reference to Elvis and Sightseeing Spots
Cohn makes quite a few references in the lyrics about Elvis. Cohn says he regrets this
In hindsight because the song was not meant as an homage to Elvis. He wrote the song
as an embodiment of his experience in the city as a whole, Take a look at the Elvis
memtions and some locations you might want to check out during a visit to Memphis
-
Sun Studio: In the first line of the song, Cohm mentions blue suede shoes, a
reference to the rockability song "Blue Suede Shoes" that was originally recorded by
Carl Perkins and made famous by Elvis Presley.
Elvis recorded "Blue Suede Shoes"
for Sun Records in Memphis. Sun Studio. on Union Avenue was declared a National
Historic Landmark in 2003 and is now open to tourists.
-
Lansky Brothers:You can purchase a pair of blue suede shoes from Lansky
Brothers, "The clothier to the king," in downtown Memphis. There are two locations.
One is on Beale Street and the other inside the Peabody Hottel, The Lansky family
was one of Elvis's first stylists: they were responsible for the glitzy looks he became known for.
-
Union Avenue : The reference to the "Ghost of Elvis on Union Avenue" was timely
when Cohn wrote the song, When Cohn visited Memphis in 1986, Elvis had been dead nine years. A the time, there had been many conspiracy theories swirling about
Elvis, including that he or his ghost has been sighted around the world. Union
Avenue is a major thoroughfare for car traffic in Memphis that leads to
Graceland. There is a misconception that the street is named after the Union Army.
It was actuallynamed in reference to the unification of different areas of the city
early in Memphis' formation.
Graceland : Cohn mentions the "gates of Graceland" and Elvis,"tomb." Graceland
was the mansion that was Elvis Presley's home and today is open for visitors.from
around the world. It is also where Elvis is buried. The gate
of the property have a distinctive metal designwith music notes and guitar players, One of the more famous
rooms in Graceland, the Hawaiian=styled"Jungle Room" is known for the deep greenshag carpet and tropicaldecor including carved wooden furniture, Also this room
Also, this room served as one of Elvis' final audio recording rooms.
reference to the rockability song "Blue Suede Shoes" that was originally recorded by
Carl Perkins and made famous by Elvis Presley. Elvis recorded "Blue Suede Shoes"
for Sun Records in Memphis. Sun Studio. on Union Avenue was declared a National
Historic Landmark in 2003 and is now open to tourists.
Brothers, "The clothier to the king," in downtown Memphis. There are two locations.
One is on Beale Street and the other inside the Peabody Hottel, The Lansky family
was one of Elvis's first stylists: they were responsible for the glitzy looks he became known for.
when Cohn wrote the song, When Cohn visited Memphis in 1986, Elvis had been dead nine years. A the time, there had been many conspiracy theories swirling about
Elvis, including that he or his ghost has been sighted around the world. Union
Avenue is a major thoroughfare for car traffic in Memphis that leads to
Graceland. There is a misconception that the street is named after the Union Army.
It was actuallynamed in reference to the unification of different areas of the city
early in Memphis' formation.
was the mansion that was Elvis Presley's home and today is open for visitors.from
around the world. It is also where Elvis is buried. The gate of the property have a distinctive metal designwith music notes and guitar players, One of the more famous
rooms in Graceland, the Hawaiian=styled"Jungle Room" is known for the deep greenshag carpet and tropicaldecor including carved wooden furniture, Also this room
Also, this room served as one of Elvis' final audio recording rooms.
References to Blues Music and Sightseeing Spots
Memphis is referred to in the song as the "land of the Delta Blues." Delta blues is a
style of blues musicthat originated in the MississippiDelta in the early 1900s.
Memphis is generally considered the nothern boundary of this geographic are. you can visit the Delta Blues Museun.in Llarksdale Mississippi, about 75 miles south.
of Memphis.
A ajouter