Bonnie Pointer and June Pointer first formed a secular singing duo in the late '60s and began performing in clubs around the San Francisco Bay area; Anita Pointer and Ruth Pointer later joined them. The Pointer Sisters hooked up with David Rubinson who was a record producer affiliated with Bill Graham. They would perform onstage with the flamboyant Sylvester of The Cockettes, and they'd done some work as background singers on recordings by Elvin Bishop, Boz Scaggs, Cold Blood and other San Francisco Bay Area groups.
Their big breakthrough was a cover of an Allen Toussaint composition originally recorded in 1970 by Lee Dorsey, the song was "Yes We Can Can" released by The Pointer Sisters in March 1973. The girls' voices were added over funky backing tracks laid down with the help of Rubinson's contacts like Tower of Power guitarist Willie Fulton. They sang live around a single mic, with Anita handling lead, and upon release the record soon hit Number 11 on Billboard's pop chart and Number 12 on the R&B chart. In 1974 the group surprised white audiences when they broke the color barrier in at The Grand Ol' Opry when performing their Country Grammy award winning country song "Fairytale" in Nashville. "How Long (Betcha Got A Chick On The Side)" was a 1975 #1 R&B hit from their Steppin LP, with classic funky keys of Herbie Hancock on clavinet & wicked guitar stylings of Wah Wah Watson...
Bonnie Pointer left the group in 1977 for a solo career, and in 1978, the remaining sisters switched labels to Planet & production duties went to Richard Perry who modernized their sound away from a nostalgia based act into a more contemporary look & sound for the 1980's.
They produced the album Energy, with a classic country flavored updates of Sly Stone's "Everybody Is A Star", and a rendition of another Allen Toussaint song called "Happiness". The Perry streak included 1984's Break Out, which did exactly that going triple platinum and winning two Grammys for the singles Automatic and "Jump (for My Love)". This period in the early 80's ostensibly represents the group's commercial peak as a charting act. Their last big hit was Neutron Dance from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack.
As the '80s wound down, June Pointer recorded two solo albums, and later left the trio by 2001. Anita also did some solo project work, and had a minor hit with a song called, "Overnight Success."
Anita and Ruth still perform concerts under the group's name. Ruth's daughter, Issa Pointer, is the trio's newest member. June suffered a stroke on February 27, 2006. While hospitalized, she was diagnosed with cancer, which had metastasized in her breast, colon, liver and bones. She died at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California on April 11, 2006 at the age of 52.
Don't Walk Away
The Pointer Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Une t'kom lon
Jo jo
Tash e ki von
Nuk ka ven n'zemren tem
Zemra jeme nuk ka ren
S'je mo
Harro
Une mo nuk kthena
A pe sheh sa posht ke ra
Nuk mjafton as n'guj me t'pa
Bone pa mu
Po, po bone pa mu
Pa mu
Bone, bone pa mu
Pa mu
Bone, bone pa mu
Pa mu
Bone tash pa mu
U jej, jej, je-hejej
U jej, jej, je-hejej
OK
Une t'kom lon
Jo jo
Tash e ki von
Nuk ka ven n'zemren tem
Zemra jeme nuk ka ren
Nuk ka
Kjo osht e verteta
Nuk ka
Gjeje tash te tjetra
Une ty krejt ti kom dhon
E ti mu vet um ki lon
Bone pa mu
Po, po bone pa mu
Pa mu
Bone, bone pa mu
Pa mu
Bone, bone pa mu
Pa mu
Bone tash pa mu
U jej, jej, je-hejej
U jej, jej, je-hejej
The song "Don't Walk Away" by The Pointer Sisters is a song about a relationship that is falling apart. The lyrics convey a message about the pain and frustration that comes with trying to hold on to a fading love. The first verse features lyrics in Albanian, expressing a sense of longing for someone who is no longer there. The following verses reveal the singer's desperate plea for her lover not to leave her, but as the chorus repeats, "Bone pa mu," the listener is left with the sense of a relationship that is irreparably broken.
The repeated use of "Bone pa mu" is a simple yet powerful message that conveys the theme of the song. The lyrics are sung in a pleading tone, and the repetition of the phrase emphasizes the singer's desperation for her lover not to leave her alone. The use of the Albanian language in the song's first verse adds an exotic element to the song, and sets the mood for the rest of the song.
In conclusion, "Don't Walk Away" by The Pointer Sisters is a powerful song that deals with the emotions that come with the end of a relationship. Through the use of language, repetition, and a passionate vocal performance, the song effectively conveys the message of a lover who is desperate to keep her partner from leaving her.
Line by Line Meaning
Une t'kom lon
I'm feeling lonely
Jo jo
No, no
Tash e ki von
Now you're leaving
Nuk ka ven n'zemren tem
There's no place in my heart
Zemra jeme nuk ka ren
My heart is not broken
S'je mo
It's not like before
Shko ti me tjera
You're leaving me for someone else
Harro
Forget it
Une mo nuk kthena
I won't come back anymore
A pe sheh sa posht ke ra
Do you see how low you've fallen?
Nuk mjafton as n'guj me t'pa
It's not enough to just see you
Bone pa mu
Go ahead without me
Po, po bone pa mu
Yes, yes go ahead without me
Pa mu
Without me
Bone, bone pa mu
Go ahead, go ahead without me
Bone tash pa mu
Go ahead now without me
U jej, jej, je-hejej
Ha ha ha
Nuk ka
There isn't
Kjo osht e verteta
This is the truth
Gjeje tash te tjetra
Find someone else now
Une ty krejt ti kom dhon
I gave you everything
E ti mu vet um ki lon
And you left me alone
Writer(s): Andy Hill, Peter John Sinfield
Contributed by Audrey M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@richierichit
Here you go:
Wise men make love by numbers
Shaken, not stirred
I hang, I hang on your every word
These days, I roll with the punches
always your clown
Do you remember when we used to paint the town
red, gold, green and blue?
If you still believe that dreams come true...
CHORUS:
Don't walk away
I know we'll find an answer if you will stay
Don't walk away
There's nothing in tomorrow that wasn't there yesterday
Oh, the heartache
Too many nights at the heartbreak hotel
Don't you give up
Love is a carousel
Put on your dancing shoes and we will paint this world
Red, gold, green and blue
If you still believe in me and you...
REPEAT CHORUS
BRIDGE:
I'm sad, the salt -- this can't be the end
It's not my fault there's rain on the roof
Reach out, reach out, I'm drowning not waving
Reach out and out and touch
before it's too late to save our love
Baby, don't you don't walk away
REPEAT CHORUS
Storm is over and a silver lining shines
Storm is clearing and I know you'll still be mine
@MuscleJacker
I just saw the Pointers in concert tonight and I told Ruth after that this was my favourite Pointer song. She was quite surprised to hear that (since this was not a hit single) but look at my comments from months ago: I mean it! I LOVE this song!
@Cmc995
Should have been another top 10!
@Smuley_ROA
im so in love with this song. cant get enough of it. Ruth you are amazing, JUne you wil be forever alive in my mind. Anita beautiful as ever................ Pointer sisters, i love you.
@stasi232
holy moly! this is one of the first acting jobs I got in LA. It was great seeing this again, and thanks for posting it. It was fun pretending to be pregnant, but chile, shooting in that rain over and over was not great for my hair!
@georgelowe1450
Michael McDonald helps out in a huge way with ending iconic blended beautifuly
@EasyPersuasionTPS
The Pointer Sisters are so underrated they're the best💜💜💜💜
@mariannecallender
They are the ABSOLUTE BEST INDEED❤❤❤❤❤❤... BEAUTIFUL IN EVERY WAY.... THEIR MUSIC TIMELESS. They should be showered with accolades ad infinitum.
@duncan3998
hidden gem from 1993! ❤️❤️❤️
@bdkennedy1
Michael McDonald wrote and sang some of the back up vocals.
@OttawaNow
This music video never played on VH1 or MTV when it came out! I watched those stations like a hawk! I did hear this song on the radio all the time.