Pretty Woman
various artists Lyrics


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Pretty woman, walking down the street
Pretty woman, the kind I like to meet
Pretty woman
I don′t believe you, you're not the truth
No one could look as good as you
Mercy
Pretty woman, won′t you pardon me?
Pretty woman, I couldn't help but see
Pretty woman
Then you look lovely as can be
Are you lonely just like me?
Rrrraw
Pretty woman, stop a while
Pretty woman, talk a while
Pretty woman, gave your smile to me
Pretty woman, yeah yeah yeah
Pretty woman, look my way
Pretty woman, say you'll stay with me
′Cause I need you, I′ll treat you right
Come with me baby, be mine tonight
Pretty woman, don't walk on by
Pretty woman, don′t make me cry
Pretty woman, don't walk away, hey, okay
If that′s the way it must be, okay
I guess I'll go on home, it′s late
There'll be tomorrow night, but wait
What do I see
Is she walking back to me




Yeah, she's walking back to me
Oh, oh, pretty woman

Overall Meaning

In the iconic song "Pretty Woman," the artist expresses admiration for a beautiful woman he sees walking down the street. The opening lines repeat the phrase "pretty woman" to emphasize his immediate attraction to her. He then expresses disbelief that someone could look as good as her, all the while acknowledging her physical appearance. He asks her if she's lonely, making a connection to her possible emotional state. He stops her and tries to engage her in conversation, admiring her smile and beauty. He implores her to stay with him and promises to treat her right, indicating his sincere interest and desire for something more than just a passing encounter. However, at the end of the song, he acknowledges that she may not reciprocate his feelings and lets her walk away, but is surprised when she returns to him.


In the song, the singer's admiration for the woman is apparent, but the focus is not just on her beauty. He seems to genuinely want to connect with her and suggests that they might have something in common by asking if she's lonely. It's a classic love-at-first-sight story that resonated with audiences then and continues to do so now. The lyrics are relatively simple, but their repetitive nature and catchy melody make it an unforgettable tune.


Line by Line Meaning

Pretty woman, walking down the street
An attractive woman is walking down the street


Pretty woman, the kind I like to meet
The singer likes attractive women


Pretty woman
An attractive woman


I don′t believe you, you're not the truth
The artist is in disbelief of how attractive the woman is


No one could look as good as you
The artist thinks the woman is the most attractive person they've ever seen


Mercy
The singer is impressed by the woman's beauty


Pretty woman, won′t you pardon me?
The singer wants to apologize for staring


Pretty woman, I couldn't help but see
The artist couldn't help looking at the woman


Pretty woman
An attractive woman


Then you look lovely as can be
The artist thinks the woman looks amazing


Are you lonely just like me?
The singer wonders if the woman is also feeling lonely


Rrrraw
The artist is expressing their attraction to the woman


Pretty woman, stop a while
The singer wants the woman to stay for a bit


Pretty woman, talk a while
The singer wants to talk to the woman


Pretty woman, gave your smile to me
The singer is happy the woman gave him a smile


Pretty woman, yeah yeah yeah
The artist is expressing excitement about the woman


Pretty woman, look my way
The artist wants the woman to look at him


Pretty woman, say you'll stay with me
The singer wants the woman to spend time with him


′Cause I need you, I′ll treat you right
The singer wants to take care of the woman


Come with me baby, be mine tonight
The artist is asking the woman to spend the night with him


Pretty woman, don't walk on by
The artist doesn't want the woman to leave


Pretty woman, don′t make me cry
The artist is upset at the thought of the woman leaving


Pretty woman, don't walk away, hey, okay
The singer doesn't want the woman to leave


If that′s the way it must be, okay
The artist is accepting if the woman decides to leave


I guess I'll go on home, it′s late
The singer is going to go home for the night


There'll be tomorrow night, but wait
The singer is hopeful they will see the woman again


What do I see
The singer has noticed something


Is she walking back to me
The woman is walking back towards the artist


Yeah, she's walking back to me
The woman is walking towards the artist


Oh, oh, pretty woman
The singer is excited to see the woman again




Writer(s): A. C. Williams

Contributed by Mackenzie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@shirleyduran6358

There’s no one like Roy Obison. He has such a clear voice and hits every note with such accuracy.

@gilsonsantos2587

Com certeza meu irmão, cada ser humano que nasce, é único.

@christerhermansson1916

Agree from sweden, very special

@granbololin

I´m 74 now and I watch this video once in a month or so. Tremendous band "ad hoc".I wish new generations would listen RO often ad admire his voice and performance

@radiomanze1296

This generation can not comprehend the talent on this stage. Nor do I think they can really appreciate the guitar riffs

@SwingFi

My goodness,
Imagine turning up to a Roy Orbison concert, blessed already to get a ticket to see the Big O, and the backing band includes Bruce Springsteen! Tom Waits! Elvis Costello! Bonnie Raitt! KD Lang! Jackson Browne! And many more. That must have been the best concert ever.

@Inigo_The_Son

@SwingFi I have watched this video dozens of times. My eyes are not what they once were, but I don't see any women on stage. Where did Bonnie Raitt and KD Lang appear?

@dwc4343

@@Inigo_The_Son This is just one song; you have to watch the entire Black and White concert to see them all. Not just this one song. By the way, she's only a backup singer. I don't recall the women singing with him, but I might be wrong on that. Been years since I watched the entire concert myself.

@HonestlyYours516

I love the part when all these well-known guitar players are playing their guitars for an extended period of time. It looks like they are all enjoying themselves immensely and there is absolutely no clash of egos there.

@juliaescalante3049

Yeeees

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