Walk a Mile in My Shoes

"Walk a Mile in My Shoes" is a song written by Joe South, who had a hit with it in 1970. South was also producer and arranger of the track, and of its B-side, "Shelter". The single was credited to "Joe South and the Believers"; the Believers included his brother Tommy South and his sister-in-law Barbara South.

For the Elvis Presley box set, see Walk a Mile in My Shoes: The Essential '70s Masters.

"Walk A Mile In My Shoes"
Single by Joe South
from the album Don't It Make You Want To Go Home
B-side	"Shelter"
Released	January 1970
Recorded	1969, Atlanta, GA
Genre	Rock
Length	3:42
Label	Capitol 2704
Songwriter(s)	Joe South
Producer(s)	Joe South
Joe South singles chronology
"Don't It Make You Want to Go Home" (1969) "Walk A Mile In My Shoes" (1970) "Children" (1970)

The song's highest position on the Billboard Hot 100 was #12, which was also its highest position in the Cashbox chart. It also reached highs of #56 country and #3 Adult Contemporary in Billboard, and made #10 in the RPM chart in Canada. It was South's second and final record to reach the top 20 of the Billboard chart. It also reached the Top 20 in Australia.

The song concerns racial tolerance and the need for perspective and compassion.

Chart history

Weekly charts Chart (1970) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[1] 20 Canada RPM Top Singles[2] 10 Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[3] 2 Canada RPM Country 6 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[4] 12 U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary 3 U.S. Billboard Country 56 U.S. Cash Box Top 100 12

Year-end charts Chart (1970) Rank Australia [5] 154 U.S. Cash Box [6] 95

Notable covers and references

• Elvis Presley on his 1970 live album On Stage
• Willie Hightower released his cover as a single in 1970 (also included on the Honest Jon's 2004 compilation album simply titled Willie Hightower). Originally produced by Rick Hall at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
• Harry Belafonte and Lena Horne when they presented an entertaining hour-long television special.
• Cliff Waldron on his 1970 bluegrass album Right On
• Bob Andy in a 1970 reggae cover
• Billy Eckstine on his 1971 album Feel the Warm
• Marion Montgomery on her 1972 album "Marion in the Morning"
• Jerry Lee Lewis on his 1972 album The Killer Rocks On
• Bryan Ferry on his 1974 album Another Time, Another Place.
• De Dijk on their 2002 album Muzikanten dansen niet (Dutch version of the song)
• Greg Page in his 2004 Nashville concert
• Coldcut on their 2006 album Sound Mirrors, featuring vocals from Robert Owens.
• Otis Clay on his 2007 album "Walk a Mile in my Shoes"
• Kentucky Headhunters on their 2011 album Midnight Special
• Lake Street Dive as part of a 2020 Ad Council campaign encouraging a more welcoming nation[7]

Notes

1. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (doc) |format= requires |url= (help). Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
2. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada".
3. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1970-02-28. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
4. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
5. Australian-charts.com
6. Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 26, 1970
7. "Ad Council Launches "Belonging Begins With Us" Campaign Featuring Exclusive New Music from Lake Street Dive". PR Newswire. 3 December 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2021.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
• Listen to "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" on YouTube