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
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)

Overall Meaning

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