Traveling Wilburys were a supergroup formed by George Harrison and Jeff Lyn… Read Full Bio ↴Traveling Wilburys were a supergroup formed by George Harrison and Jeff Lynne. Initially an informal grouping with Roy Orbison and Tom Petty, they got together at Bob Dylan's studio in Malibu, California, to record an additional track as a B-side for the single release of Harrison's "This is Love". The song they came up with was "Handle with Care", which the record company immediately realized was too good to be released as a single "filler".

They enjoyed working together so much that they decided to create an album together. Co-written by all the group members, the songwriting and recording were accomplished over a ten-day period at Dave Stewart's house, as Dylan was due to go out on tour. Their first studio album, Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 was released on October 18, 1988. The band members were credited under various pseudonyms, all sons of a fictional Charles Truscott Wilbury, Sr. The album was immediately dubbed as one of the top 100 albums of all time by Rolling Stone, and was a critical and commercial success, spawning several successful singles and eventually reaching triple-platinum sales status in the US. Additionally, it was nominated for several awards and won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group in 1989.

The death of Orbison on December 6, 1988 prevented further full collaborations, and the band continued without him. In 1990, they released a second studio album titled Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 3. The intentional misnumbering is attributed to Harrison's sense of humor; additionally, the pseudonyms for all members were changed. The album met with less success than its predecessor, and the group eventually disbanded in 1990, their final released recording being the song "Nobody's Child", the title track of a benefit album released to benefit Romanian orphans.

In 2007, a compilation of both albums was released, entitled The Traveling Wilburys Collection. As well as both of the original albums, the release included bonus tracks and music videos; additionally, previously uncredited session drummer Jim Keltner, who appeared in some of the group's music videos, was listed as a member of the group, as was Dhani Harrison, the son of George who had assisted in some parts of the overdubbing of the previously unreleased material.

Walk Away
Traveling Wilburys Lyrics

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Every time I have to lie it tears me apart
Every time I see you cry
It takes a piece of my heart
I know that I said never never walk away from you
I know that I said I'd always be there my whole life through

I got to walk away, walk away
There's nothing left that I can do but walk away

Walk away
Slowly turn my eyes from you and walk away

Every time I make believe it hurts more and more
There was a time I couldn't see, now I know for sure
I know that I can't help it if it hurts you when I say goodbye
Don't know why it has to be the way it is, I tried and I tried

I got to walk away, walk away
There's nothing left that I can do but walk away
Walk away
Slowly turn my eyes from you and walk away

Walk away, Walk away

I got to walk away, walk away
There's nothing left that I can do but walk away
Walk away
Slowly turn my eyes from you and walk away

Walk away.

I got to walk away
There's nothing left that I can do but walk away
Walk away
Slowly turn my eyes from you and walk away

I got to walk away, walk away

Walk, Walk, Walk away
Walk away.

Overall Meaning

The Traveling Wilburys’ “Walk Away” is a heart-wrenching song about the difficulty of leaving someone you love, even if it means causing them pain. The singer confesses that every time he lies to his lover, it hurts him deeply, and every time she cries, it takes a piece of his heart. Despite promising to never abandon her, he is forced to walk away because he knows he can no longer help the hurt he causes. He can’t help but pretend that everything is okay, but it only causes more pain in the end. He acknowledges that he tried to make things work, but ultimately, the only thing he can do is to slowly turn his eyes from her and walk away.

This song is a poignant exploration of the human experience of love and loss. The singer’s pain is palpable, and listeners can empathize with the difficult decision he must make. The lyrics are straightforward and honest, allowing the raw emotion to shine through.

Line by Line Meaning

Every time I have to lie it tears me apart
Whenever I have to deceive you, it causes extensive emotional pain

Every time I see you cry It takes a piece of my heart
Each instance of witnessing your tears reinforces the devastation within me

I know that I said never never walk away from you I know that I said I'd always be there my whole life through
I recall my promise of being eternally present, and never abandoning you

I got to walk away, walk away There's nothing left that I can do but walk away Walk away Slowly turn my eyes from you and walk away
I have come to the conclusion that I must depart from this relationship, and gradually withdraw my gaze as I leave

Every time I make believe it hurts more and more There was a time I couldn't see, now I know for sure
The more I engage in pretense, the greater the agony I experience. I was previously ignorant of this, but now I am enlightened

I know that I can't help it if it hurts you when I say goodbye Don't know why it has to be the way it is, I tried and I tried
Regrettably, it is beyond my control that my departure will wound you. I have attempted to alter this outcome, but to no avail

Walk away, Walk away I got to walk away, walk away There's nothing left that I can do but walk away Walk away Slowly turn my eyes from you and walk away Walk away, Walk away
In order to make my exit, I must walk away, while gradually distancing myself from you, and lowering my gaze. This process may be repeated as necessary

Contributed by Kylie P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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