Aerosmith and Run DMC - Walk this way
Walk This Way is a song by American hard rock group Aerosmith.
Written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, the song was originally released as the second single from the 1975 album Toys in the Attic. It peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1977, part of a string of successful hit singles for the band in the 1970s.
In addition to being one of the songs that helped break Aerosmith into the mainstream in the 1970s, it also helped revitalize their career in the 1980s when it was covered by rappers Run–D.M.C. in their 1986 album Raising Hell. This cover was a touchstone for the new musical sub-genre of rap rock, or the melding of rock and hip hop.
It became an international hit and won both groups a Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap - Single in 1987.
The song was inspired from an oft-spoken line and gag ("Walk this way") from the Mel Brooks film, Young Frankenstein, which the band saw during a late-night showing while taking a break and trying to record a song for their third album, Toys in the Attic. The song, at the time, had music but no lyrics thus far.
The song starts out with the famous two measure drum beat intro by Joey Kramer, followed by the equally famous guitar riff by Joe Perry. The song proceeds with the main riff, played by Perry and Brad Whitford on guitar with Tom Hamilton on bass.
The lyrics, which tell the story of a high school boy losing his virginity, are sung quite fast by Steven Tyler, with heavy emphasis being placed on the rhyming lyrics (e.g., "so I took a big chance at the high school dance"). This rap-style delivery may explain why the song worked so well as a rap song when it was covered 11 years later.
Between the elaborately detailed verses, the chorus primarily consists of a repetition of "Walk this way, talk this way". In collaborations, the other singer often says "talk this way" every alternate line of the chorus. Live in concert, Steven Tyler often has the audience, combined with members of the band, sing "talk this way". There is also a lengthy guitar solo at the end of the song, and in concert, Steven Tyler will often harmonize his voice to mimic the sounds of the guitar.
In the Run–D.M.C. cover, the turntable is added in to reflect the additional hip hop influence on the record. Both the original Aerosmith version and the Run–D.M.C. cover (featuring Steven Tyler and Joe Perry) appear on various Aerosmith compilations as well as Run-DMC albums.
While the Run–D.M.C. cover is nearly identical to the original version, the Girls Aloud/Sugababes cover has a few changes tweaked into the song; the additional line "Walk this way, you wanna talk this way" is added, the vocoder is added, the lyrics are moved around, and the beat is slightly sped up to add a further dance-pop influence to the song.
The 1986 music video for "Walk This Way" symbolically placed Aerosmith and Run–D.M.C. in a musical duel in neighboring studios before Tyler literally breaks through the wall that separates them. The video then segues to the bands' joint performance on stage. The highly popular video was the first rap hybrid video ever played in heavy rotation on MTV and is regarded as a classic of the medium. The video was directed by Jon Small.
Aside from Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, none of the other rock musicians in the video are the Aerosmith members; instead, they were played by Roger Lane, J. D. Malo and Matt Stelutto - respectively rhythm guitarist, bassist and drummer for the largely unknown hair metal outfit Smashed Gladys. According to VH1's Pop Up Video, Run–D.M.C. couldn't afford to use the entire Aerosmith band, just Tyler and Perry. As only Steven Tyler and Joe Perry had travelled to record the cover with Run–D.M.C., they were the only real Aerosmith members to appear in the video.
In other media
Both the Run–D.M.C. version and the original version of the song are featured in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.
Aerosmith's autobiography is named Walk This Way.
Aerosmith's fan club, Aero Force One, sells doormats printed with the phrase "Walk This Way".
The music video for "Walk This Way" was parodied in the music video for Lil Jon's "Get Low Remix" and Lil Wayne's "Shooter".
The famous opening drum beat, or beat resembling such part, is actually looped in one section of the Adam Sandler film Big Daddy, during the scene where he is throwing sticks toward the roller bladers.
When Aerosmith guest-performed on the hit animated-series The Simpsons in Flaming Moe's, they performed "Walk This Way", featuring side vocals from Moe Szyslak the bartender (voiced by Hank Azaria).
The radio edit is featured in the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Walt Disney World.
The Aerosmith/Run–D.M.C. remake version of the song is included in Dance Dance Revolution ULTRAMIX 3.
In Boston's Fun Food Factory there is a sign telling you where the line starts saying "'Walk This Way' says Mr Tyler".
This song is referenced in another more recent song by Aerosmith, "Just Push Play".
The tag line for the video game Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is Walk This Way.
The Run–D.M.C. version is included on the soundtrack to the 2008 film Sex and the City: The Movie.
In the horror movie The Lost Boys a group of people are dancing around a bonfire with "Walk This Way" playing.
In the Konami Wii video game Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's: Wheelie Breakers a version of the riff can be heard on menu screens
In the 2011 movie The Smurfs, using the Run–D.M.C. version, with the lyrics modified by the Smurfs.
A version by Lil' P-Nut featuring Haunted by Heroes with modified lyrics aired on Cartoon Network, parodying/copying the Run–D.M.C. video, at least the beginning.
In the 1987 movie China Girl, the Run–D.M.C. version is featured in a nightclub scene where the character Tye (played by Sari Chang) is changing clothes in the ladies restroom.
The lyrics:
Backstroke lover always hidin' 'neath the covers
Till I talked to your daddy, he say
He said "you ain't seen nothin' till you're down on a muffin
Then you're sure to be a-changin' your ways"
I met a cheerleader, was a real young bleeder
Oh, the times I could reminisce
'Cause the best things of lovin' with her sister and her cousin
Only started with a little kiss
Like this!
Seesaw swingin' with the boys in the school
And your feet flyin' up in the air
Singin' "hey diddle diddle"
With your kitty in the middle of the swing
Like you didn't care
So I took a big chance at the high school dance
With a missy who was ready to play
Wasn't me she was foolin'
'Cause she knew what she was doin'
And I knowed love was here to stay
When she told me to
Walk this way
Just gimme a kiss
Like this!
Schoolgirl sweetie with a classy kinda sassy
Little skirt's climbin' way up the knee
There was three young ladies in the school gym locker
When I noticed they was lookin' at me
I was a high school loser, never made it with a lady
Till the boys told me somethin' I missed
Then my next door neighbor with a daughter had a favor
So I gave her just a little kiss
Like this!
Seesaw swingin' with the boys in the school
And your feet flyin' up in the air
Singin' "hey diddle diddle"
With your kitty in the middle of the swing
Like you didn't care
So I took a big chance at the high school dance
With a missy who was ready to play
Wasn't me she was foolin'
'Cause she knew what she was doin'
And I knowed love was here to stay
When she told me to
When she told me how to walk this way, she told me to
[Repeat x8]
Walk this way
Just gimme a kiss
Like this!
