Walking in Memphis

Walking in Memphis

by Marc Cohn

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

WC 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

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.

Now I'm walking in Memphis

Walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale

Now I'm 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 gald 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

And she said "Tell me are you a Christian child?"

And I said "Ma'am I am tonight."

Now I'm walking in Memphis

Walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale

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.

Great song from the early 90's. We experienced much of what was referenced in the song, althought we never made it by to visit the king. Well see you next time, Elvis!

Carriage rides around downtown.

Beale Street, downtown Memphis


This was a garbage can used as a sign.

Kind of appropriate since I thought Beale Street was dirty.



These 2 kids would flip and flop and turn cart wheels all down the street...for money of course. They were actually pretty good. In this picture one is about to flip over the other.
They would walk around with buckets and stick in front of you.
Needless to say, I never parted with any of my $$$.

This is where we ate dinner. BB King's place. Now for a little history lesson on BB King.

He was actually born as Riley B King and is now 82 years old. Some of his early recordings were produced by Sam Phillips, who also produced for Elvis and Sun Studios in Memphis. King was also a disc jockey and earned the name Beale Street Blues Boy which was later shortened to B.B. One of his hit songs is The Thrill Is Gone which is on Rolling Stone's Songs of All Times.

This was INSIDE BB's place. Fun! They had a band juking and it was a riot! This woman was the singer and they were all really good.
BB King on his guitar, 'Lucille'- - About 15 times a lady has said: "it's either me or Lucille. That's why I've had 15 children by 15 women." This is a picture of Lucille hanging on the wall. The name Lucille was given to his guitar after he escaped a fire in a juke joint that he was playing in. The fire was started by two men who were fighting over a woman named, yep, you guessed it-Lucille. The two men knocked over kerosene that had been used for heat. After BB King escaped the burning building he realized he had forgotten his guitar and ran back in to get it. It was then that he named it Lucille, to remind himself not to do it again.
A little groovin' at BB's place.

This guy was the pimp-daddy who seated us.
He was all decked out...and was really friendly.

They ended with a little Tina Turner...Rollin on the River.
She pulled her back-up singers from the crowd of people dancing on the floor.

Fried dill-pickles with a little sweet-tea. Sweet tea for a sweetie!
Um-mmmm!
Catfish Po-Boy!
This we saw for sale in a window. Mike asked if it wasn't a shark suit because it was seriously made from chain something or other. Not real sure what it is.

But it was really expensive...and also available in black!

A horse with wings.
Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "When Donkey's Fly"

Leaving Memphis.

The trolly...or charlie as Carson calls them.




"Welcome to Arkansas"
I still have a few more pictures...blogger wouldn't let me download them all for some reason. So, more later.


It's always a shock to come back home after a few days of quiet. But...

It's always good to be home,
~Shannon