Titles for Walking

Titles for Walking

When I am out walking, which isn't a whole lot anymore, I invariably run songs through my mind. Kicking in really fast because it pertains to my activity, I may find myself singing softly and striding to Fats Domino's "Walking to New Orleans", and then find I can remember but two verses. Ain't That a Shame? I can just picture him up On Blueberry Hill picking blackberries because blueberries are in short supply in South Louisiana. As a matter of fact, hills are also in short supply, but I guess a levee would do. And there is no shortage of levees in New Orleans

Occasionally I will see. or imagine a line that I can follow, and "I Walk the Line" for a while with Johnny Cash. I guess if he's with June Carter, with whom he got married in a fever hotter than a pepper sprout, he might be headed for Jackson. That's Jackson, Tennessee, by the way. That would be okay by me, as long as we stay away from any Ring of Fire we might run across.
I will have to remember not to call him Sue, although that is exactly what he was called in one of his hits.

Of course, we might run into Nancy Sinatra out taking a hike, because her "Boots Are Made for Walking". But I will be sure to keep my distance because I don't want her walking all over me. She just might be on her way to Jackson with her bud Lee Hazelwood. They were also married in a fever.

But however and wherever I walk, I take care to Walk Like A Man like the Four Seasons admonished me to do. I really don't have much choice because the admonition is gender specific. Which reminds me, there should be a Superhero called The Admonisher! Think about all the things for which people need to be admonished.

I am never motivated to do the Baby Elephant 🐘 Walk, though I might be tempted to do a little two step to Henry Mancini's recording of it when I get back home. Passers-by might consider me a little odd if they saw me dancing alone in the street. It would be all right if there were a bunch of us dancing in the street because there is safety in numbers.

Probably I could try to Walk Like an Egyptian as The Bangles advised back in '86. But to be honest I can't picture an Egyptian walking any differently than the way I already walk. So where would the fun be in that? Plus, I would not want to be accused of cultural misappropriation.

If during my walk I should encounter someone ignoring the mask mandate because of the pandemic, I will heed Dionne Warwick's advice to just Walk on By. If they haven't yet got the message, there is no possibility that a chance encounter with a stranger would change their behavior.

No walk would be complete without Mahalia Jackson joining the trek. She is out for Just a Closer Walk With Thee, and the Thee she wants to walk with isn't me. So I don't interrupt her, but just marvel at the power and conviction in her voice. If she is singing, I am listening.

With all the songs with walk in their titles that accompany me on my walks, miles can be covered whilst in song. I can with authority attest to the fact that Rogers and Hammerstein got it right in Carousel when they wrote the words to You'll Never Walk Alone.

When you have your music with you, you are never alone!


Walk on, brother, walk on!