Just let me grieve in private/
Cause each time I see you I cry.
Just walk on by.

Here we are introduced to Burt Bacharach: every person on earth has heard his songs-and loves them- but very few know his name. This song was written within a year of the #500 song, The Beatles “And I Love Her”. I would argue that during the early to mid sixties we see the greatest gap between pop music and rock. What the Beatles and The Rolling Stones were doing was so different from this, but sometimes we underrate the pop from this period.

In “Walk On By”, the melody in the verse, chorus, bridge and outro are all unique yet they blend well. Each could almost be a song of its own. The message is a simple one: I am prideful. If you see me and I start to cry don’t comfort me- just keep walking.

Dionne Warwick’s voice is subtle compared to some of her R&B peers and that allows us to really focus on the excellence of the composition. Note it is the background singers who bring the typical early 60s, fiery R&B vocals in this song. They sound like her friends yelling at the guy: “Don’t stop!”

Also, a here we have a very unique and effective use of a muted trumpet.

Lyrics Walk on By

If you see me walking down the street
And I start to cry each time we meet
Walk on by, walk on by

Make believe
That you don’t see the tears
Just let me grieve
In private ’cause each time I see you
I break down and cry
And walk on by (don’t stop)
And walk on by (don’t stop)
And walk on by

I just can’t get over losing you
And so if I seem broken and blue
Walk on by, walk on by

Foolish pride
Is all that I have left
So let me hide
The tears and the sadness you gave me
When you said goodbye
Walk on by (don’t stop)
Walk on by (don’t stop)
Walk on by (don’t stop)
Walk on

Walk on by
Walk on by
Foolish pride
Is all that I have left
So let me hide
The tears and the sadness you gave me
When you said goodbye
Walk on by (don’t stop)
And walk on by (don’t stop)
Now you really gotta go so walk on by (don’t stop)
If you leave you’ll never see the tears I cry
Now you really gotta go so walk on by (don’t stop)

Songwriters: Burt Bacharach / Hal David / Martin Peter Harrington / Ash Howes / Jim Duguid / Jill Jackson