EDDIE FISHER – ‘I’m Walking Behind You’
(26th June 1953)
I’m genuinely pleased that Eddie Fisher got a second big hit, especially as it establishes the winning notion that if you’ve had one smash your second should be as like it as legally possible. ‘Outside Of Heaven’ saw Eddie standing in the crowd at his ex-love’s wedding: ‘I’m Walking Behind You’ ups the masochistic ante still further ‘ Fisher is walking behind his former girl up the aisle! The singing this time is almost as morose but twice as creepy, Fisher giving the title line an unpleasant twinkle even as he chokes back the tears. Sadly the somewhat pedestrian tune lets a grand performance down (i.e. I can’t remember how it goes, a deadly sin in the days when hooks were actually things like choruses. It might go ‘I’m walking be-HIND youuu!’ panto style but I fear that’s wishful thinking.) 5
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Marcello Carlin on November 8th, 2007
Dorothy Squires also had a Top 20 hit with this at the same time, but hers was actually the original version; written for her by her ex Billy Reid. An unusual event in the general trend of American original/Brit covers.
intothefireuk on November 8th, 2007
I don’t know the DS version but the lyric makes more sense from a female perspective. From a male perspective there is a definite creepy stalking quality. It is though a more relaxed performance from Eddie and better for it.
wichita lineman on May 27th, 2008
You’re right Tom, Eddie’s delivery is very much that of the panto stalker. All he needs to do to totally freak the poor bride is paint his face Pierrot style, like matey from Alex Harvey’s band.