Saturday Morning Soundtrack -- "I'm Walkin'" by Fats Domino (1957)

We're off to a late start this week in the Saturday Morning Soundtrack series, but have no fear: we're taking the wayback  machine to 1956. Where 1956 was a tough year for me to pick a favorite, so was 1957, but for different reasons entirely. There were too many songs I liked from this year. In '57 Elvis sang "Jailhouse Rock." The Everly's warned little Susie that she'd need to wake up and quickly before they got caught for being out all night. Jerry Lee Lewis hit the scene and a whole lotta shakin' was had. And Chuck Berry put into song the feelings that were on the minds of many when he sang, "Just gimme that rock and roll music." If I hadn't already picked it for Soundtrack entry #16, I surely would have chosen Buddy Holly's "That'll Be The Day," but with that off the board, I decided to go with Fats Domino. 

As always, my disclaimer: I'm not alleging that the songs I pick are necessarily the "best" songs from a given year. Just my favorites.  You'll hear some big hits and some B-side buried treasures. Some weeks, it'll be a bit like picking a favorite child. Other weeks, I may have to dig deep to find a song I like. If nothing else, it should be an adventure. If your favorite song gets overlooked, let me know just how wrong I got things in the comments below! Or, even better, consider writing your own Saturday Morning Soundtrack entry for a future post. And, after you read the commentary, keep checking out the Youtube page to play through the entire series playlist seamlessly while you write, work, exercise, or simply rock out!

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Saturday Morning Soundtrack @ Youtube

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"I'm Walkin'" -- Fats Domino (1957)

Rock music has changed so much throughout the years--it's become, in turn, angry complex, deep, dark, indulgent, moody, romantic, socially conscious, and, in the midst of all that, self serious--and with so many changes, its easy to forget that, at its roots, rock and roll was a music designed for people to move to. That's an idea that seems quaint nowadays, but if we look at the music that remains most popular today  (hip hop, dub, and electronica, etc.) it's clear that the urge to rock our bodies hasn't gone anywhere. 

Fats Domino's "I'm Walkin'" is a song that understands that primal desire (though I'd say it's urging us to do a lot more than simply walk to its beat), and it's the number that made Fats a star on the mainstream charts, when it peaked at #4. Its origin story allegedly starts with a broken down car and a pesky fan who happened to recognize Domino walking along the side of the road. "Hey, look at Fats, he's walkin,'" the fan called out. (Why didn't he bother to offer Domino a lift? I don't know, but it was 1957, and so there are a lot of potential reasons why he might have kept our hero stranded.) In any case, Fats kept walkin', and as he did, he wrote this surprisingly upbeat song.

So next time you listen to this song, consider this: proper vehicle maintenance, better public transportation, a public commitment to selfless behavior . . . any number of factors could have prevented this song from being made. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge proponent of all of the above, but a world without this song? That would still be a shame. 

Nowadays, Fats doesn't do nearly as much walkin' as he used to. Since the 1980s, he's remained, for the most part, in his hometown of New Orleans. And though reports of his death were premature during Hurricane Katrina, "The Fat Man" is still alive and kicking, and he's received a lot of late-life recognition--whether it be from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, the Delta Music Museum Hall of Fame, the office of the President, or the rock music community itself*, everyone is lining up to pay their respects to one of rock music's most influential performers.

* Click here to hear my favorite band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, performing their critically acclaimed cover of "I'm Walkin'" from the outstanding Fats Domino tribute album, Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino. 

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So what do you think? Did I get it right or miss the mark? Please, feel free to weigh in using the comments below. And, if you would like to write a Guest Entry for the "Saturday Morning Soundtrack" series where you creatively respond to one of your favorite rock songs, don't hesitate to contact me with queries.