Walk On By

"Walk on By" is a song composed by Burt Bacharach, with lyrics by Hal David for Dionne Warwick. It was recorded at the same December 1963 session that yielded "Anyone Who Had a Heart", which, in 1964, became Warwick's second Top Ten hit. Released in April of that year, "Walk on By" became a landmark single, reaching #6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The song also reached the top 10 in a brief run on Billboard's easy listening survey, and was a Number One hit on Cashbox's R and B chart (Billboard did not print rhythm and blues charts during 1964, the year of the song's peak performance.)

Like many of Warwick's 1960s Bacharach-composed singles, "Walk on By" was heavily covered in different ways, some of which gained significant chart success. One notable version was by funk/soul musician Isaac Hayes, whose 1969 cover on his groundbreaking album Hot Buttered Soul was transformed into a twelve-and-a-half minute funk vamp, breaking ground for singers to release songs surpassing five minutes. In 1978, The Stranglers recorded a gritty punk-inspired version that hit #21 on the UK charts. In 1982, funk singer D-Train recorded a US-only R&B hit with the song mixing up Warwick and Hayes' versions. In 1990, singer Sybil, who had scored her biggest hit a year prior with a cover of Warwick's "Don't Make Me Over", also scored a US R&B hit with this song.

Warwick also recorded a German version of the song, entitled "Geh Vorbei"

Hundreds of artists have recorded and performed "Walk on By" on stage, including The Jackson 5 (often as part of a meledy with The Love You Save) Aretha Franklin (1964), The Undisputed Truth, Bobby Kris & The Imperials, Mel Tormé, The Lettermen (on their 1964 album She Cried), The Four Seasons (1965), Stan Getz (1966), The Stranglers (1978), George Benson, Stanley Turrentine, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Johnny Mathis, Cliff Richard (for live album Cliff "Live" in Japan '72 with Olivia Newton-John), Gloria Gaynor (1975 album Experience Gloria Gaynor), Melissa Manchester, The Beach Boys, Sybil Lynch (1990), Seal, Average White Band, Melanie Thornton, Gabrielle (1997), The Carpenters, Kelly Clarkson and Kiki Dee, Jazz Jamaica (on Massive, 2004), The Scorchers (on "Stuntin'"), The Capprells and The Sul Brothers Band (one act).

Isaac Hayes' version of "Walk on By" was sampled and revisited many times, by artists such as Comptons Most Wanted (1991), Notorious B.I.G. (1994), Slick Rick Mona Lisa (1995), Hooverphonic (1997), MF Doom (1999), The Wu Tang Clan (2000), Pete Rock (2001), Ludacris (2004).

In 2003, Alicia Keys recorded a medley of Hayes' version of "Walk on By" and Gladys Knight & the Pips' 1970 song "If I Were Your Woman" for her second album The Diary of Alicia Keys, entitled "If I Was Your Woman/Walk on By".

The Undisputed Truth version of "Walk on By" was sampled by J Dilla on his 2006 album Donuts.

Joss Stone's song "Just Walk on By", from the 2007 compilation album Randy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1, contains a sample from "Walk on By".

Warwick's version remains the most well-known, however, and in 1998 the song was inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame. The RIAA chose it as one of the Songs of the Century. In 2004, it was ranked #70 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The Youngs recorded a version of "Walk on By" appearing on their self titled album released on Mimicry Records in 2004.


Released: August 10 1997
Format: CD Single
Recorded: 1995
Genre: Pop, R&B, soul
Length: 3:21
Label: Go Beat, Universal Records
Writer(s): Burt Bacharach, Hal David

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
and walk on by
and walk by (don't stop)

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)
and walk by (don't stop)