Walk on by
Kelly Clarkson Lyrics


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Ooohooh
If you see me walking down the street and I start to cry
Each time we meet
Walk on by...boy walk on by
Make believe that you don't see the tears just let me grieve
In private cuz each time I see you
I break down and cry
Boy walk on by
I just can't get over losing you and so if I seem broken and blue
Walk on by
Boy walk on by
Foolish pride is all that I can feel so let me hide
The tears and the sadness you gave me when you said goodbye
Boy walk on by
oooh ooh yea make believe that you don't see the tears honey
Let me grieve in private cuz each time I see you I just break down
And cry ooh oh
Just walk on by




Walk on walk on
Ooooh ooh boy walk on by

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Kelly Clarkson's song "Walk on By" speak about the pain of seeing an ex-lover and being unable to keep composure. The singer is visibly crying and wants the ex-lover to walk away without acknowledging her tears. She asks him to "make believe" that he doesn't see her crying and let her grieve in private. She cannot get over losing him and is still in a state of heartbreak.


The lyrics are particularly relatable to anyone who has experienced a recent breakup and is still struggling to move on. The song speaks to the desire to appear strong in front of an ex-partner, while feeling vulnerable and emotional inside. The lyrics also touch on the theme of pride and the need to save face, even though the singer is clearly hurting.


Overall, "Walk on By" is a powerful song that speaks to the universal experience of heartbreak and the difficulty of moving on. The lyrics are delivered with raw emotion, making it a standout track on the album.


Line by Line Meaning

If you see me walking down the street and I start to cry
If you see me outside and I start to cry, please keep walking and don't acknowledge me.


Each time we meet
Every time we see each other.


Walk on by...boy walk on by
Please continue walking past me, boy.


Make believe that you don't see the tears just let me grieve
Pretend you don't notice that I'm crying, and let me feel and express my grief alone.


In private cuz each time I see you I break down and cry
I need to grieve alone because every time I see you, I can't help but break down crying.


I just can't get over losing you and so if I seem broken and blue
I'm struggling to move on from losing you, so if I seem sad and down, that's why.


Foolish pride is all that I can feel so let me hide
I'm only feeling foolish pride, so please let me hide my emotions and grieve alone.


The tears and the sadness you gave me when you said goodbye
The tears and sadness I'm feeling are a result of you leaving me.


oooh ooh yea make believe that you don't see the tears honey
Please pretend you don't see me crying, honey.


Let me grieve in private cuz each time I see you I just break down And cry ooh oh
I need to grieve alone because every time I see you, I can't help but break down and cry.


Just walk on by
Please just keep walking past me and don't acknowledge me.


Walk on walk on
Please just keep walking.


Ooooh ooh boy walk on by
Please keep walking past me, boy.




Contributed by Camden L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

geekoftheweek27

This is actually one of my favorite performances of hers on the show.

Charlie Bergstedt

What a gift her friends gave to the world when they made sure she auditioned for AI. If we had missed out on her talent, the world would be a much less richly adorned place. Go Kelly!!!! Keep making the music that gives us that great pleasure.

robert stanley

And now, Kelly Clarkson sings covers on her Emmy winning daytime talk show 😍

Frank D

Kelly was giving Celine/Mariah/Whitney type performance WEEKLY when she was on Idol. Literally, the judges couldn't say one bad thing-- they tried to downplay Kelly so Tamyra could win, but it backfired. This is perfection

decook

Frank Dufek Kelly is an awesome vocalist, one of my favorites, but I disagree with the idea that Kelly was downplayed for Tamyra to win.

Lonell Fletcher

@decook yeah I think they just really loved Tamyra.

robert stanley

Yes!!!!!

Zechariah Cameron

She loved soul singers like Aretha and Dione. I never would have expected that with "Breakaway" and "Since U Been Gone."

Daniella Robins

Wow Watching this all years later I can see how much of a strategist Kelly was. Obviously, she is a genuine person but she also took the competition very seriously with her song selections and it paid off!

mump4

Kelly totally owned it. I love her version.

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