"That's How I Got to Memphis", sometimes titled "How I Got to Memphis", is a country music standard written by American country music artist Tom T. Hall. The song tells a man's story of coming to Memphis to look for a former lover. The song first appeared on Hall's 1969 album Ballad of Forty Dollars & His Other Great Songs. It has been widely covered, most notably by Bobby Bare in 1970, Deryl Dodd in 1996, and Charley Crockett in 2018.
| How I Got to Memphis | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Bobby Bare |
| Album: | This Is Bare Country |
| B-Side: | "It's Freezing in El Paso"[1] |
| Released: | August 1970 |
| Genre: | Country |
| Label: | Mercury |
| Producer: | Jerry Kennedy |
| Prev Title: | Your Husband, My Wife |
| Prev Year: | 1970 |
| Next Title: | Come Sundown |
| Next Year: | 1970 |
Bobby Bare covered the song under the name "How I Got to Memphis" on his 1970 album This Is Bare Country.[2]
An uncredited review in Billboard called the song "potent Tom T. Hall material, delivered in one of Bare's finest performances."[3]
Bobby Bare's version spent 16 weeks on the Hot Country Songs charts, peaking at number 3.[1]
| That's How I Got to Memphis | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Deryl Dodd |
| Album: | One Ride in Vegas |
| Released: | November 9, 1996 |
| Genre: | Country |
| Label: | Columbia |
| Producer: | Blake Chancey, Chip Young |
| Prev Title: | Friends Don't Drive Friends… |
| Prev Year: | 1996 |
| Next Title: | Movin' Out to the Country |
| Next Year: | 1997 |
In late 1996, Deryl Dodd covered the song for his debut album One Ride in Vegas. The song was the album's second single. In place of a b-side, the single release contained album snippets.[4]
Don Yates of Country Standard Time called Dodd's version of the song "impassioned".[5]
Dodd's version charted on Hot Country Songs for 20 weeks, peaking at number 36 in early 1997.[4]
The song has been widely covered by other artists and is now considered a standard.[6]
A French language version entitled "Sur la route de Memphis" was a hit for French rock and country artist Eddy Mitchell and was the title track for his 1977 album.
The song is also featured in the series finale of The Newsroom.