Download Instrumental   I love the sound of a clarinet, so I’ll throw a clarinet solo into a song every chance I get.  Granted, it has no business in a Fats Domino tune, but do we care?  I know, I know… the solo is supposed to be a saxophone, but I decided to make the lead vocal track a sax.  Any singer who uses these backups will mute the sax track anyway.  And… they’ll have a clarinet solo.  Cool!  Everybody confused now?  Good.

Fats Domino was stranded on a lonely country road in 1957.  As he walked away from his old car, a fan drove by and shouted out, “Hey! That’s Fats Domino – and he’s walking!”  “Yeah”, Fats muttered to himself, “I’m walking”.  He wrote this song in his head as he walked toward town.  Personally, I don’t believe this tale, but it has followed this song around for years.  In the first place, Fats Domino was famous in ’57 and wouldn’t have been driving an old car.  And, what self-respecting “fan” would leave him stranded?  I mean, if I saw Lady Gaga walking away from a broken-down vehicle, I would pick her up even though I’m hardly a fan.  Wouldn’t you?  Well, maybe not.

The title “I’m Walking” has nothing to do with the rest of the lyrics.  But all Mr. Domino (is that his real name?) was concerned about was cranking out a rollicking two minute tune that everyone would remember.  He certainly achieved that lofty goal with this one.  Stick this one in your repertoire and you’ll make your crowd happy – that’s what it’s all about.

Domino is his real name – Antoine “Fats” Domino Jr. to be precise.  He was born in New Orleans to a French Creole family and never lived anywhere else.  Even in the heyday of his fame he insisted on sleeping outside in a hammock every night.  What a guy!  Ya know, living in “The Big Easy” all his life, you’d have thought he’d have put a clarinet solo in there somewhere.  Just sayin’…