Reached no 3 in the UK charts in 1964
(Intro)
N.C. D
Walk tall
(Chorus)
G D G
Walk tall walk straight and look the world right in the eye
C G
That's what my mama told me when I was about knee high
C G
She said son be a proud man and hold your head up high
D G
Walk tall walk straight and look the world right in the eye
(Verse 1)
G D G
All through the years that I grew up ma taught these things to me
C G
But I was young and foolish then and much too blind to see
C G
I ignored the things she said as if I'd never heard
D G
Now I see and understand the wisdom of her words
(Chorus)
G D G
Walk tall walk straight and look the world right in the eye
C G
That's what my mama told me when I was about knee high
C G
She said son be a proud man and hold your head up high
D G
Walk tall walk straight and look the world right in the eye
(Verse 2)
G D G
I started goin' places where the youngsters shouldn't go
C G
I got to know the kind of girls it's better not to know
C G
I fell in with a bad crowd and laughed and drank with them
D G
Through the laughter mama's words would echo now and then
(Chorus)
G D G
Walk tall walk straight and look the world right in the eye
C G
That's what my mama told me when I was about knee high
C G
She said son be a proud man and hold your head up high
D G E
Walk tall walk straight and look the world right in the eye
(Verse 3)
A E A
I got in trouble with the law and I'm in prison now
D A
Through these prison bars I see things so much different now
D A
I've got one year left to serve and when my time is done
E A
I'll walk tall and straight and make ma proud to call me son
(Chorus)
A E A
Walk tall walk straight and look the world right in the eye
D A
That's what my mama told me when I was about knee high
D A
She said son be a proud man and hold your head up high
E A
Walk tall walk straight and look the world right in the eye
E A
Walk tall walk straight and look the world right in the eye
E N.C. A
Walk tall walk tall