Walk On By

Given our current etiquette of “social distancing” (who picked that unfriendly term?) people are staying safely away from each other. But one of the downsides has been how cold the general public has become. We take our little dog out for her daily walk and occasionally see folks walking their dogs on the other side of the street. We always make an effort to make eye contact and smile, yet most people – caught in the grip of fearing the unseen virus – have forgotten this simple, human interaction. Is this the path we’re headed down? Are we destined to become unreachable strangers to our own neighbors? If so, the zombie apocalypse has already taken hold.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to write comical or sad lyrics, so the end result (a little combination of both) is what you’ll read in this rendition of Walk On By. The original pop song, by the lovely Dionne Warwick, was one of my mom’s favorites. I heard it a lot growing up as a kid, and I still have Dionne’s record albums as reminders of those early, childhood years. How strange to think it would become the fuel for a revised version to help me express my feelings in these bizarre, Twilight Zone times.

LYRICS:
If you see me walking down the street
Look at your feet, or up to the sky
Walk on by, walk on by

Stay 6 feet away

Wallow in your fear, afraid of all humans
No smiles, or greetings, no T.P.
You should stay inside
Walk on by, walk on by, walk on by

Undercover cops and cameras are watching your moves
and logging your face
Walk on by, walk on by
Don’t stop and say “Hi”

Are you living longer or dying slower?
When half of the world has moved on now
You feel safe inside
The media never lies
Walk on by, walk on by

Walk on by, walk on by
You stay inside

Nature has returned, the skies are bluer
Live in your virtual world
Don’t you go outside
Walk on by

Don’t you smile
Stay six feet away
Don’t go out and play
Walk on by
Walk on by

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