Walks Like a Lady

"Walks Like a Lady"
Single by Journey
from the album Departure
B-side	"People and Places"
Released	May 1980
Recorded	1979
Studio	The Automatt, San Francisco, California
Length	3:16
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Steve Perry
Producer(s)	Geoff Workman Kevin Elson
Journey singles chronology
"Any Way You Want It" (1980) "Walks Like a Lady" (1980) "The Party's Over (Hopelessly in Love)" (1981)

"Walks Like a Lady" is a song written by Steve Perry that was first released by his band Journey on their 1980 album Departure. It was also released as the second single from the album and reached No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[1] It also reached #31 in Canada.^[2]

Music and lyrics

Ultimate Classic Rock described the writing of the song, saying that "Perry brought in a rough sketch, [Neal] Schon added a blues-inspired [guitar] riff, then [Steve] Smith picked up his brushes," and then [Gregg] Rolie added his "Hammond B3 groove."^[3]

Critics and the band have disagreed on the classification of "Walks Like a Lady". During concerts in 1980, Perry used to introduce the song by asking if anyone wants to hear the blues. Boston Globe correspondent Jim Sullivan, who described the song as "semi-blues" found the audience's confused reaction to that introduction humorous.^[4] Citizen's Voice critic Jerry Kishbaugh accepted the Perry's classification and described Journey's playing on the song as "blues at its best."^[5] Daily Record critic Jim Bohen completely rejected the notion of the song being the blues, stating that "of course the song has nothing to do with the blues."^[6]

Several critics have noted the similarity of the line "She walks like a lady / But she cries like a little girl" to the chorus from Bob Dylan's 1966 song "Just Like a Woman."^[7][8]

Reception

Cash Box called "Walks Like a Lady" a "short, to-the-point, easy blues/pop track" with "finger lickin’ good blues [guitar] leads in a subdued but tasteful style" and "moodsetting organ work."^[9] Record World said of it that "Drawing from the infamous organ blues trios of another era, Journey adds some boogie rock with Steve Perry's vocals providing the pop front."^[10] The Morning Call critic Eric Hegedus described it as "lugubrious".^[11] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Nick DeRiso rated it Journey's all-time 22nd best song.^[3] '

"Walks Like a Lady" has been included on several Journey compilation albums, including the limited edition 3.0 version of The Essential Journey and Greatest Hits 2.^[12][13] It was also included on the 1981 live album Captured.^[14]

References

1. "Journey: Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
2. "RPM 100 singles". Library and Archives Canada. August 23, 1980.
3. DeRiso, Nick (October 4, 2018). "All 173 Journey Songs Ranked Worst to Best". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
4. Sullivan, Jim (August 19, 1980). "Journey hardly worth the effort". Boston Globe. p. 25. Retrieved 2023-02-20 – via newspapers.com.
5. Sullivan, Jim (August 29, 1980). "'Journey' Concert: Night Worth Remembering". Citizen's Voice. p. 22. Retrieved 2023-02-20 – via newspapers.com.
6. Bohen, Jim (March 22, 1981). "Shortcuts". Daily Record. p. D4. Retrieved 2023-02-20 – via newspapers.com.
7. Allan, Marc D. (May 15, 1980). "Records". Boston Globe. p. 11. Retrieved 2023-02-20 – via newspapers.com.
8. Laycock, John (May 20, 1980). "Journey travels a well-worn route". Windsor Star. p. 42. Retrieved 2023-02-20 – via newspapers.com.
9. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. May 17, 1980. p. 18. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
10. "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. May 17, 1980. p. 16. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
11. Hegedus, Eric (March 29, 1980). "Records". The Morning Call. p. 63. Retrieved 2023-02-20 – via newspapers.com.
12. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Essential Journey [Limited Edition 3.0]". Allmusic. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
13. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Greatest Hits, Vol. 2". Allmusic. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
14. Kurutz, Steve. "Captured". Allmusic. Retrieved 2023-02-20.