Connors became interested in jazz as a child, and began playing drums early, once sitting in for Elvin Jones at a John Coltrane performance he attended while in middle school. Connors studied music at Temple University and Juilliard; his first recording was on Archie Shepp's 1967 release, Magic of JuJu. He played with Pharaoh Sanders for the next few years until signing with Cobblestone Records in 1972 and releasing his first record as a bandleader. In the mid-1970s, Connors, although fronting some great jazz recordings with Carlos Garnett, Gary Bartz, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Herbie Hancock, began focusing more on R&B tunes, and had several US hits with songs featuring vocalists such as Michael Henderson, Jean Carn, and Phyllis Hyman. The most successful of these was "You Are My Starship". Dee Dee Bridgewater also performed with him on the jazz album "Love from the Sun". His more recent work, "Star Power", has seen him operating more in the vein of smooth jazz and urban crossover music featuring Howard Hewett, Bobby Lyle, Ray Parker, Jr, Peabo Bryson, Michael Henderson, and Antoinette.
Walk On By
Norman Connors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I start to cry each time we meet
Walk on by, walk on by
Just 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
Oh yeah, gonna walk on by
Oh, I just can't get over losing you
So if I seem broken in two
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, yeah
Gonna walk on by, just walk on by, walk on by
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, yeah
Just walk on by
Make believe you never see the tears I cry
Now you really gotta go, so walk on by
I just can't get over losing you
So walk on by, walk on by, walk on by
When you see me walking down the street, boy
The pain in my heart won't let us sleep
So walk on by, you gotta walk on by
So walk on by, walk on by
Make believe you never see the tears I cry
Now you really gotta go, so walk on by
Don't turn around just walk on by
The lyrics of Norman Connor's song "Walk On By" go beyond the playful melody of the song, although the lyrics are sung in a light-hearted fashion, the song carries a deep message about grief and heartbreak experienced when a relationship ends. The song is about someone who has just been left by their lover and is still grieving the breakup. The character is helpless and overwhelmed with emotions each time they see their ex-lover walking down the street. The song urges this person to avoid any form of confrontation or communication with their ex-partner.
In some ways, the lyrics suggest that the character is not ready to let go of their emotions and that they are still holding onto hope that things could change. The phrase "foolish pride that's all I have left" suggests that the character is reluctant to show their pain to others and prefers to cope with it on their own. The mention of hiding "the tears and the sadness" further confirms that the character does not want people to witness their vulnerability and are struggling to come to terms with their emotions.
In conclusion, "Walk On By" captures the raw emotions of a person grappling with heartbreak and sending a clear message to their ex-lover not to bother them. The lyrics can resonate with anyone who has ever experienced heartbreak, highlighting the need for space and privacy to process various emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
If you see me walking down the street
If you happen to come across me while I'm out and about
And I start to cry each time we meet
And I become emotional and begin to weep whenever we cross paths
Walk on by, walk on by
Please continue on with your journey and don't let my emotions affect you
Just make believe that you don't see the tears
Please pretend not to notice that I am crying
Just let me grieve in private
Please respect my need to mourn on my own
'Cause each time I see you I break down and cry
Because every time I see you, it causes me to become overwhelmed with grief and cry
Oh yeah, gonna walk on by
Oh yes, I am determined to continue on my way despite my emotional state
Oh, I just can't get over losing you
Oh, I just can't come to terms with the fact that I've lost you
So if I seem broken in two
So if I appear to be completely shattered
Walk on by, walk on by
Please don't let my pain affect you and continue on with your path
Foolish pride that's all that I have left
The only thing that remains within me is foolish pride
So let me hide the tears and the sadness
Therefore, let me conceal my tears and sadness
You gave me when you said goodbye, yeah
The sadness that you caused me when you departed
Gonna walk on by, just walk on by, walk on by
I am resolved to keep walking and not to dwell on my emotions
Make believe you never see the tears I cry
Please pretend that you don't see the tears falling from my eyes
Now you really gotta go, so walk on by
Now that it's time for you to depart, please continue on with your journey
I just can't get over losing you
I can't seem to come to terms with the fact that you are no longer mine
When you see me walking down the street, boy
When you happen to come across me walking on the street, my dear
The pain in my heart won't let us sleep
The pain and hurt in my heart is too great for me to rest
So walk on by, you gotta walk on by
Therefore, you must continue on your journey, without me
Don't turn around just walk on by
Don't look back, please just continue walking away
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Burt F. Bacharach, Hal David
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aporche
on Wouldn't You Like to See?
I love this song. It makes me think of what would be sung when one has just died. Wouldn’t You Like to See It?
Michael Henderson
on You Are My Starship
This song, "You Are My Starship" was written, performed and produced by Michael Henderson as indicated on the Norman Connors album of the same title.. Norman plays drums..