Walking in Memphis by Marc Cohn

Overview

Key: C major · Chords used: 16 · Sections: 7

Form: Intro → Verse → Chorus → Interlude → Verse → Chorus → Outro

Where these chords come from: an expert transcription of the original recording made for the McGill Billboard Project (Burgoyne, Wild & Fujinaga, 2011). This page shows that transcription as-is: the analysis below is generated directly from it by code, not written by AI. Consecutive repeats of a chord are shown once, and the piano voicings are our playable arrangement of each chord symbol, not a note-for-note transcription.

Section by section

Intro

• F – G5 – C5 – A5 (×2)
  IV – V5 – I5 – VI5

Verse 1

• F – G5 – C5 – A5 (×7)
  IV – V5 – I5 – VI5
• F – G5 – C5
  IV – V5 – I5
• Am7 – F – Gsus4 – C (×3)
  vi7 – IV – Vsus4 – I
• Am7 – F – Gsus4
  vi7 – IV – Vsus4
• F9sus4 – C5/G – C – Am7/D (×4)
  IV9sus4 – I5 (bass G) – I – vi7 (bass D)
• F9sus4 – C5/G – C – Am7 – F9sus4 – C5/G – C – Am7/D – F9sus4 – C5/G – C – Am7
  IV9sus4 – I5 (bass G) – I – vi7 – IV9sus4 – I5 (bass G) – I – vi7 (bass D) – IV9sus4 – I5 (bass G) – I – vi7
• F9sus4 – C (×2)
  IV9sus4 – I

Chorus 1

• F – Gsus4 – C
  IV – Vsus4 – I
• Am7 – F – Gsus4 (×2)
  vi7 – IV – Vsus4
• C – Am7 – F – Gsus4
  I – vi7 – IV – Vsus4

Interlude

• C7sus4 – C – C9sus4 – C (×3)
  I7sus4 – I – I9sus4 – I
• E7 – F – F♯dim – G
  III7 – IV – #iv° – V

Verse 2

• F – G5 – C5 – A5 (×6)
  IV – V5 – I5 – VI5
• F9sus4 – C5/G – C – Am7 – F9sus4 – C5/G – C – Am7/D – F9sus4 – C5/G – C – Am7 – F9sus4 – C
  IV9sus4 – I5 (bass G) – I – vi7 – IV9sus4 – I5 (bass G) – I – vi7 (bass D) – IV9sus4 – I5 (bass G) – I – vi7 – IV9sus4 – I

Chorus 2

• F – Gsus4 – C
  IV – Vsus4 – I
• Am7 – F – Gsus4 (×2)
  vi7 – IV – Vsus4
• C – Am7 – F – Em7
  I – vi7 – IV – iii7
• C – Am7 – F – Gsus4 (×2)
  I – vi7 – IV – Vsus4
• Am7 – F – Gsus4 – C (×2)
  vi7 – IV – Vsus4 – I

Outro

• F – G5 – C5 – A5 (×6)
  IV – V5 – I5 – VI5
• F – G5 – C5 – Am7 – F – G
  IV – V5 – I5 – vi7 – IV – V
• F – G5 – C5 – A5 (×3)
  IV – V5 – I5 – VI5
• F – G – C
  IV – V – I

Chord vocabulary

Harmonic highlights

• F9sus4 (IV9sus4) is borrowed from the parallel key, C minor.
• C7sus4 (I7sus4) is borrowed from the parallel key, C minor.
• C9sus4 (I9sus4) is borrowed from the parallel key, C minor.
• The Verse 1 loops Am7 – F – Gsus4 – C (vi7 – IV – Vsus4 – I), a rotation of the ’50s progression (I–vi–IV–V family).

Sources & accuracy

• Chords and sections: the McGill Billboard Project (Burgoyne, Wild & Fujinaga, 2011). Expert transcription by trained musicians (song 0775, CC0), via ChoCo.
• Not verified: only one expert transcription of this song is available so far.
• 15 chords were simplified to the closest symbol our player supports (for example, an unusual added tone dropped).
• Rhythm and chord durations aren't shown; each step is one chord change.