Walking in Memphis
(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
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
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
(Chorus)
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
And she said -
Tell me are you a Christian child?
And I said Ma'am I am tonight
(Chorus)
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
-------------
And for an extra added bonus, here's a little slice of Memphis
history.
Reverend Green, as far as I know, is still the pastor of a hip and
jumpin' Baptist church in Whitehaven (a suburb of Memphis) while he
continues his long music career.
The Hollywood is a restuarant near Memphis serving such delectable
dishes as frog legs, catfish and fried dill pickles. Muriel was a
soulful black lady who held forth at the piano at The Hollywood every
Friday night, often singing some beautiful blues. At the time the
song was recorded, she was still alive; however, I think she died in
'91. As far as I know, The Hollywood still features live bands
(country, R&B, and rockabilly) on Friday and Saturday nights. Until
the casinos really got rolling (around Tunica, MS), The Hollywood was
only open for dinner on Thursday through Sunday nights. Now, I think
the place is open for lunch every day in addition to the evening
dinners.
The restaurant gets its name from the unincorporated Mississippi River
Delta town where it was first located, Hollywood. It was very popular
because of its food and because it was housed in an old cotton
warehouse, a very authentic Delta setting. After the original
restuarant burned, the owners relocated the place a few miles north
(closer to Memphis) to another old cotton warehouse, this one in the
village of Robinsonville. "The Hollywood" was such a famous place
that the old name was put on the relocated restuarant. Now,
Robinsonville is in the midst of all the casino district.
(
geocities.com/hollywood/academy/3225/Misc_Pop) (
geocities.com/hollywood/academy/3225) (
geocities.com/hollywood/academy) (
geocities.com/hollywood)