Known as the artist who "bridged the gap," Warwick's soulful blend of pop, gospel and R&B music transcended racial, cultural, national, and musical boundaries.
Throughout the 1980's and 1990's, Warwick collaborated with many of her musical peers, including Johnny Mathis, Smokey Robinson, Luther Vandross, Jeffrey Osbourne, Kashif and Stevie Wonder. Warwick was also host of the hit television music show, "Solid Gold." In addition, she recorded several theme songs, including "Champagne Wishes & Caviar Dreams," for the popular television series "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous," and "The Love Boat," for the hit series from Aaron Spelling. More recently, Warwick recorded her first Christmas album entitled "My Favorite Time of the Year" featured jazzy interpretations of many holiday classics. In 2007, Rhino Records re-released the CD with new cover art, a critically acclaimed Gospel album, "Why We Sing," for Rhino/Warner Records, and a new jazz album, "Only Trust Your Heart," a collection of standards, celebrating the music of legendary composer Sammy Cahn for Sony Red/MPCA Records.
Dionne Warwick has won 5 Grammy Awards during her music career:
• 1969: "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the single, "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?"
• 1971: "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the single, "I'll Never Fall in Love Again"
• 1979: "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" for the single, "Déjà Vu"
• 1979: "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the single, "I'll Never Love This Way Again"
• 1986: "Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal" for the single, "That's What Friends Are For"
Dionne Warwick was born in a musical family of which numerous superstars arose.
Warwick's sister Dee Dee Warwick had a successful singing career, Warwick's aunt is gospel singer Cissy Houston, and one of Warwick's cousins is Whitney Houston.
Walk On By
Dionne Warwick Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
That's 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
That's 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)
Now you really gotta go, so walk on by (don't, don't stop)
Baby, leave, you'll never see the tears I cry (don't, don't stop)
Now you really gotta go, so walk on by (don't, don't stop)
Mmm, baby, leave, you'll never see the tears I cry (don't, don't stop)
Now you really gotta go, so walk on by (don't, don't)
The lyrics of Dionne Warwick's 1964 song 'Walk On By' are about a person trying to move on from a past relationship. The singer sees their ex-partner walking down the street, and each encounter leads to sadness and tears. However, instead of staying and making things more painful, they ask their ex-partner to walk on by and pretend not to notice their tears. The singer then asks for the chance to grieve "in private", showing that they don't want to experience more heartbreak in the public eye. The chorus repeats this sentiment, urging the ex-partner to keep walking and not stopping.
The song suggests that the singer's pain stems from "foolish pride" – a façade put up to hide the true emotions, and the unspoken request is for the ex-partner not to expose it. The song ends on this idea, emphasizing that the singer wants to keep their emotions hidden and not be further humiliated in public. Overall, this heartbreaking song beautifully captures the complex emotions of a person trying to move on after the end of a relationship, while also conveying the universality of such feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
If you see me walking down the street
If you happen to catch a glimpse of me walking somewhere
And I start to cry each time we meet
And tears inevitably begin to flow from my eyes every time I see you
Walk on by, walk on by
Please, don't pause or stop to acknowledge my presence
Make believe
Please pretend or act as if
That you don't see the tears
That you haven't noticed the tears streaming down my face
Just let me grieve
Allow me to mourn and be sad
In private 'cause each time I see you
In secret because every time I lay eyes on you
I break down and cry
I fall apart and can't help but weep
And walk on by (don't stop)
And continue on with your day, uninterrupted
I just can't get over losing you
I can't possibly move on from losing you
And so if I seem, broken and blue
So, if I appear to be shattered and sad
Walk on by
Please do not engage with me
Foolish pride
This remaining sense of dignity is all I have left
That's all that I have left
All I have left is my foolish pride
So let me hide
I ask to conceal it from you
The tears and the sadness you gave me
The tears and sadness that you caused in me
When you said goodbye
When you parted ways with me
Walk on by (don't stop)
Simply carry on with your journey
Walk on by (don't stop)
Do not pause for a second
Walk on by (don't stop)
Please continue walking without halting
Walk on
Carry on and walk away
Now you really gotta go, so walk on by (don't, don't stop)
You must leave now, so please don't pause
Baby, leave, you'll never see the tears I cry (don't, don't stop)
Please exit and spare yourself from seeing me weep
Mmm, baby, leave, you'll never see the tears I cry (don't, don't stop)
Oh darling, please depart and avoid the grief you cause me
Now you really gotta go, so walk on by (don't, don't stop)
Now you absolutely must depart, so kindly do not pause
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Integrity Music, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aline Dowd
on I Cry Alone
Brings back oh so many memories.