Burt Freeman Bacharach(May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American com… Read Full Bio ↴Burt Freeman Bacharach(May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, and musician who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music.

Bacharach studied music at McGill University and the Mannes School of Music. In the 1950s and the early 1960s he was the pianist, arranger and bandleader for Marlene Dietrich with whom he toured. He teamed with lyricist Hal David and others to write many popular songs in the 1960s and 1970s.

Bacharach's music has been sung by a number of popular singers including The Beatles,The Carpenters, Aretha Franklin, Jack Jones, Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield, Luther Vandross and The Drifters. He met Dionne Warwick, with whom he would form a famed collaboration. His songs are characterized by (1) the use of unexpected harmonic changes and (2) unusual rhythmic patterns and time signatures. He employs times such as 5/4 or 3/2, and frequently goes from one time signature to another in the same song, often after each measure. He also changes keys frequently. An excellent example of his style is "Promises, Promises", from his score to the musical of the same name. He has a total of 52 Top 40 hits. In addition, many of his songs were adapted by jazz artists of the time, such as Stan Getz and Wes Montgomery. The Bacharach-David composition "My Little Red Book", originally recorded by Manfred Mann for the film What's New, Pussycat, and promptly covered by Love in 1965, has become a rock standard. He composed and arranged the soundtrack of the 1967 film Casino Royale.

He has been married four times, to Paula Stewart (1953-1958), to actress Angie Dickinson (1965-1980), to lyricist Carole Bayer Sager (1982-1991) - with whom he collaborated on a number of pieces - and (since 1993) Jane Hanson. He has a total of four children, two girls and two boys.

In 1998 he collaborated on an album called Painted From Memory with singer/songwriter Elvis Costello. His 2005 album At This Time features collaborations with Costello, Rufus Wainwright, and Dr. Dre (who provides bass-and-drum loops).

Bacharach has had cameo roles in a number of Hollywood movies including all three Austin Powers movies. His music is also credited as providing inspiration for these movies.

During subsequent Burt Bacharach concert tours, each show would open with a very brief video clip from the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, with Mike Myers (as Austin Powers) uttering "Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Burt Bacharach".

Walk on By
Burt Bacharach Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

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
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

Walk on by (don't stop)
Walk on by (don't stop)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Burt Bacharach's "Walk on By" tell the story of a brokenhearted individual who cannot bear to be in the company of their former love interest without breaking down in tears. The opening line of the song, "If you see me walking down the street," implies that this is an unexpected encounter, and the singer is caught off guard. The singer acknowledges their vulnerability and weakness, urging their former love to "walk on by" and ignore their tears.

The second verse delves deeper into the singer's feelings of sorrow and loss. The phrase "foolish pride" suggests that the singer is ashamed of their inability to move on and hide their feelings. The tears and sadness that the former love interest gave the singer are still present, and the wounds are fresh. The repetition of "walk on by" throughout the song echoes the singer's plea for their former love to ignore their pain.

Overall, the lyrics of "Walk on By" are a poignant plea to a former love interest to let the singer grieve in private. The singer acknowledges their vulnerability and would rather suffer quietly than be pitied by their former love interest. The song captures the theme of unrequited love and heartache, and it is a powerful testament to the complex emotions of a broken heart.

Line by Line Meaning

If you see me walking down the street
If you happen to see me walking on the street...

And I start to cry each time we meet
...and if I start crying every time we come across each other...

Walk on by, walk on by
...please keep walking and don't stop for me.

Make believe
Just pretend or act as though...

That you don't see the tears
...you didn't notice my tears.

Just let me grieve
Please let me mourn or suffer for a while...

In private 'cause each time I see you
...without anyone watching because every time I see you...

I break down and cry
...I can't help but fall apart and cry.

And walk on by (don't stop)
And please continue on your way without pausing or halting.

And walk on by (don't stop)
Again, please don't linger or stop on my account.

I just can't get over losing you
I simply can't move past losing you...

And so if I seem broken and blue
...and consequently, if I appear shattered and depressed...

Walk on by, walk on by
...please continue to walk on by and overlook me.

Foolish pride
My sense of stubbornness and ego...

Is all that I have left
...is the only thing I have left to hold on to.

So let me hide
Thus, let me conceal or shield...

The tears and the sadness you gave me
...the tears and sorrow that were caused by you.

When you said goodbye
...when you bid me farewell.

Walk on by
Once again, please walk past me and don't let me stop you.

And walk on by
Same as above, keep walking and don't look back.

Walk on by (don't stop)
Don't halt or pause in your journey for me.

Walk on by (don't stop)
Last time, I implore you to keep walking and not let me distract you.

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

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