rosanne cash • john leventhal
The narrator's voice in this song belongs to Marshall Grant, speaking to his wife Etta at the end of the last tour. You'd better know a little about them to give the lyrics some sense, before you bring it on to an audience.
Marshall Garnett Grant (1928–2011) married Etta Mae Dickerson (1929-2020) in 1946. They settled in Memphis, Tennessee in 1947; Marshall working as a car mechanic. In 1954 he laid down his wrench and picked up the upright bass, being one of the founders of "The Tennessee Three" and the real inventor of the 'boom-chicka-boom' style in rockabilly music - the story behind can be read HERE.
From now on, Marshall was constantly touring, as bass player and later also road manager, for Johnny Cash and then "Statler Brothers". Etta used to follow him on tour. They grew a habit: whereever they were; whatever the time: when they woke up, the first spoken words were «what's the temperature, darlin'?»
Their marriage lasted for - in THAT business - unbelievable 65 years.
Rosanne Cash, born 1955 as the first of Johnny's four daughters with Vivian Liberto, knew Marshall and Etta from early childhood; staying in contact all the time. Herself, she became famous as a singer/songwriter, and in 2014 she wrote this tribute song together with her musical companion and husband John Leventhal for the Blue Note album "The River & the Thread".
Now you know the backdrop for the song, and in addition: it contains facts. Marshall and Etta really owned and HAD a house in Nakomis Ave, Memphis as a base. And Marshall, who stopped touring in 2010, was struck by aneurysm during a rehearsal attending a festival to restore the childhood home of Johnny Cash in Arkansas. Though there were conflicts, Marshall stayed as Johnny's probably closest friend ever. And Etta was there; all the time.
Finding this simple song touching and warming, I beg you to treat it with respect.
«what's the temperature darlin'?»
a hundred or more
the horses pawing at the dust
violets wilting by the door
but you pour your strongest coffee
and I'll take the battered wheel
we'll drive straight down the river road
and spread a blanket on the hill
«what's the temperature darlin'?»
now don't stare into the past
there was nothing we could change or fix
it was never gonna last
now don't stare into those photos
don't analyze my eyes
we're just a mile or two from Memphis
and the rhythm of our lives
a mile or two from Memphis
and I must go away
I tore up all the highways
now there's nothing left to say
a mile or two from Memphis
and I finally made it home
there were days you paced the kitchen
there were nights that felt like jail
when the phone rang in the dead of night
you would always throw my bail
no you never touched the whiskey
and you never took the pills
I traveled for a million miles
while you were standing still
«what's the temperature darlin'?»
as the daylight fades away
I'll make one last rehearsal
with one foot in the grave
we kept the house on old Nokomis
we kept the polished bass guitar
we kept the tickets and the reels of tape
to remember who we are
a mile or two from Memphis
and I must go away
I tore up all the highways
now there's nothing left to say
a mile or two from Memphis
and I finally made it home
«what's the temperature darlin'?»
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
This is a plain country song, inviting to make your own tricks with sevenths, sixths and so on in between the basic chords. I leave it up to you, but insist on the single A minor I've put up.
G what's the temperature darlin' C a hundred or more G the horses pawing at the dust D violets wilting by the door G but you pour your strongest coffee C and I'll take the battered wheel G we'll drive straight down the river road D and spread a blanket on the hill C a mile or two from Memphis D and I must go away G I tore up all the highways C now there's nothing left to say G a mile or two from Memphis Am D G and I finally made it home
