“That’s How I Got to Memphis” was written by Tom T. Hall, the Kentucky-born songwriter known for his plainspoken story songs. He recorded it himself in the late 1960s, and it appeared on a 1969 album.
The song follows a man who has trailed a woman he loves all the way to Memphis. He explains, to a stranger or to himself, that he simply followed her — that wherever she went, he went, and that is how he came to be in this city. It is a quiet study of devotion and pursuit.
The song became a country and Americana standard, recorded by many artists, and it has been a favorite in bluegrass as well. The version heard here is by NewFound Road.
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