Walk on By

Leroy Van Dyke

About Walk on By

"Walk on By" is a song written by Kendall Hayes and performed by American country music artist Leroy Van Dyke. It was released in June 1961 as the first single and title track from the album Walk On By. The song was Van Dyke's most successful single, spending 37 weeks on the country chart and a record-breaking 19 at the number-one position. "Walk on By" crossed over to the pop chart peaking at number five, and was named by Billboard magazine as the biggest country music record in history. The 19-week run of "Walk On By" is a record that stood for 51 years until "Cruise" by Florida Georgia Line reached its 19th week at No. 1 on July 20, 2013; the following week, "Cruise" surpassed the standard when it recorded its 20th week at No. 1. Until Florida Georgia Line surpassed it in total weeks at No. 1, "Walk On By" held the record for most weeks at No. 1 since the introduction of the all-encompassing Hot Country Songs (then called Hot C&W Sides) chart in October 1958; the all-time record for most weeks at No. 1 (50 weeks) is held by Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line's "Meant to Be." 


Year:
2007
2:21
100 
#1

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If I see you tomorrow on some street in town
Pardon me, if I don't say hello (hello)
I belong to another, it wouldn't look so good
To know someone I'm not supposed to know

Just walk on by, wait on the corner
I love you, but we're strangers when we meet
Just walk on by, wait on the corner
I love you, but we're strangers when we meet

In a dimly lit corner in a place outside of town
Tonight we'll try to say goodbye again (goodbye)
But I know it's not over, I'll call tomorrow night
I can't let you go, so why pretend?

Just walk on by, wait on the corner
I love you, but we're strangers when we meet
Just walk on by, wait on the corner
I love you, but we're strangers when we meet

I love you, but we're strangers when we meet

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Leroy Van Dyke

Leroy Frank Van Dyke (born October 4, 1929) is an American country music singer best known for his hits "The Auctioneer" (1956) and "Walk On By" (1961). more »

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Written by: KENDALL HAYES

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Genre Classification
"Walk on By" by Leroy Van Dyke falls under the Country and Western music genre.
Year of Release
The song was released in the year 1961.
Chart Success
Upon release, "Walk on By" topped the Billboards country chart for 19 weeks. This made it the longest-running number one country song until 2013.
Record-Breaking Achievement
The Guinness Book of World Records cites "Walk on By" as the biggest selling country single in history.
Crossover Success
It also achieved significant success on the pop charts. The song peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
Writer and Composer
The song was written by Kendall Hayes.
Cover Versions
Many artists have covered "Walk on By" in various genres, with artists such as Dionne Warwick creating a famous rendition in the Pop genre.
Cultural Impact
The song is considered a country standards classic and is often played on traditional country radio stations.
Recognition by Country Music Panel
In 1994, it was named as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time by the Western Writers of America.
Leroy Van Dyke's Signature Song
Despite Van Dyke's numerous other hits, "Walk on By" remains his signature song, loved by fans across the world.
Inspiration for Other Songs
The song has been said to inspire other artists' songs and song titles, including "Walk on By" by Isaac Hayes in 1969 and a song of the same title by singer-songwriter Seal in 1990.
Live Performances
Even today, the song continues to be one of the most popular and often requested during Van Dyke's live performances.

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    Walk on By

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1961

    Billboard #5


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