#MM Music Challenge — Walking this Way

Jim Adams is the committed host of Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Music Challenge.  Jim says:
The challenge today is to focus on [Walk Like an Egyptian] and use it for inspiration in any form of creative expression.

Jim, I enjoyed your post today very much. What inspired me in it is the walking; the walking in music to be exact. Right off I thought of at least a few songs.

The first one is the Run DMC Mix of “Walk This Way,” featuring Aerosmith. Either Hans or Max mentioned last week that this song was a comeback for Aerosmith. I remember the first time seeing this video and how cool I thought it looked and sounded. Breaking through the wall is such a powerful metaphor. Music is one of the universal connections us humans have with each other that transcends time/place/culture and some would include species into the music-makers of the world.

“Walk on By” is a favorite Burt Bacharach/Hal David-written song of mine, as sung by the lovely Dionne Warwick. I remember having an album of Burt Bacharach songs as a teenager one of the times I lived with my grandparents – I was a mouthy, obnoxious teenager, and my next younger brother was now old enough to babysit and care for the younger sibs – and my mom, who wouldn’t tolerate mouthiness, and my stepdad, who I really gave a tough time to– were happy to see me go. The first time hearing it, my idealistic teenaged heart ached for the singer of the song. To lose love and live in anguish is a tough place to be.

“I Walk the Line” is a Johnny Cash song from a 1970 movie of the same name starring Gregory Peck and Tuesday Weld, where Peck is a sheriff’s deputy. I don’t remember the plot to the movie, but I sure do remember this song. Johnny Cash at his best. Think about how profound these lyrics are. If someone wrote me a song like this, it would be hard to resist. Love is one of the few things humans can be proud of possessing and giving. I used to think there was a finite amount of love a person could give. Not so. Love is boundless, especially when given freely.

“Long Black Veil” doesn’t have walk in the title, but “She walks these hills in a long black veil” qualifies it as one. Am I the only one who sees this lonely soul walking the hills? It’s fresh haunting and mourning each time I listen.

Do you have any favorite walk songs? Memories associated with them?